


Some Enchanted Evening

by AssyPiff



Category: Peter Kay's Car Share (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-09-29 08:37:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17200199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AssyPiff/pseuds/AssyPiff
Summary: Set from S1 E2 onwards.





	1. Chapter 1

Management meetings were never a barrel of laughs, but the one after Old Ted's accident was particularly grim. This was an Emergency Meeting with a capital E, full of Big-Wigs, Health and Safety execs, lawyers, in addition to the usual store and regional team. 

John, as usual, kept his thoughts to himself. He despised the usual management bullshit at the best of times, but today he was seething. These bastards, who had been helicoptored in for damage limitation, had completely forgotten that a man; a good man, a pensioner, a loyal employee, had died right out there in the car park. A man whose family would miss him every day. 

Getting up, when the meeting had finally concluded, John had been trying to make his escape when he was waylaid by Dave Thompson and Alan Campbell.

"Er John, can we see you in my office for a minute?" Dave Thompson is standing at the Big Meeting Room door, holding it open for Cath Hilton, who is the last to leave. 

John exchanges a quick glance with Cath, who shrugs to indicate she had no idea what this is all about. "Yes of course, Dave," John replies, "I'm right behind you. "

"More bloody work for me!" John mutters as he follows Dave down the corridor to his office.

Already sat in Dave's office is Alan Campbell, waiting for them both. Dave indicates that John should sit also. John sits, wondering what all this is about. He has already been tasked with updating the store's Trolley Safety Policy, so waits to see what else they want him to do.

"Well this is all a bit of a rum do." Alan Campbell shakes his head.

" It is that, Alan. He were a nice fella was Old Ted."

John knows from experience that Alan Campbell is not so much of an arse clown as he first appears. He has a young family at home, a family that is his whole world. Although Alan can talk the talk with the best of them, he also hasn't forgotten to be compassionate over the years, especially when John 's dad had passed away. So John had a lot of time for Alan and waited patiently for them to get to the point. 

"Now this needs to be in the strictest confidence John, what we're about to discuss." Dave Thompson begins.

" Oh aye, Dave. You have my word. "

Alan Campbell takes over, " You know how much you are appreciated by us, by the company? "

(Actually if they had really appreciated me I would have been promoted years ago, this must a real humdinger, John thinks).

"And if Christmas goes well, we have you lined up for promotion?"

" Yes Alan, Dave made that clear in my appraisal last week. "

"Ok, so we'll be needing you to step up and take more responsibility sooner than we expected."

(Here we bloody go!), John pulls his expectant face, waiting to see what more of the brown stuff can possibly hit the fan and be flung in his direction.

"It's like this John," Dave takes up the story from Alan.

" I'm none too well at the moment. I'm probably going to have to go into hospital to have another stent fitted. I was told it would be a possibility when I had the last one done. I'm being monitored closely, see how I get on, but it looks like early September I will be out of action. "

"I'm sorry to hear that Dave. Of course if there's anything I can do..." John is genuinely sorry to hear Dave's news. The two men have worked together for years and although Dave is more abrasive with the staff than is John's style, John has always had a good relationship with him.

" Well actually there is John. We'd like you to sit in on more disciplinaries, get more involved with staffing issues. It will be good for you to build up your experience in this area and will ease the stress off Dave a bit."

"OK, well I can do that, no problem." John dutifully replies, whilst inwardly groaning, hating all things connected to the management of people.

"Right good. We knew you'd step up. There is another thing." Alan looks across at John, knowing that the next request would not be taken as equitably as the last.

" As you may know John, every September we have the annual managers dinner dance. It's usually a good do, good food, live band, decent venue, that kind of thing... well this year we'd like you to go to represent this store and the region. Dave and I usually go, but as you know, my Beverley is due to drop our third at the end of August, and Dave here...well Dave shouldn't be exerting himself. So we'd like you to go. It will be a good opportunity for you to meet regional people you don't already know. Get yourself seen. " 

Alan and Dave both regard John to try to gauge his reaction. They are both fully aware that this is just the sort of event that John really does not feel comfortable attending, but both have decided that it would suit everyone for John to attend in their place this year.

John squirms in his chair. He's fully aware he's under scrutiny by both his bosses, and he's also fully aware that he has little choice but to say yes. He doesn't have to like it though.

"You want me to go? " They all know they have him between a rock and a very hard place. "Is there nobody else?"

" No John, we really think you are the man for the job. Think of it as a perk." Dave grins across at him.

"Oh and it is black tie, John. And you will need to take a partner. You're not courting currently are you John?" Alan Campbell is fully aware that John seems to have been sworn off women since that unfortunate debacle with that fiancee a few years back.

"No I'm not courting now!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John gets his courage up to ask...

Going back into his own office, John slumps into his chair and rests his head on his hands wondering if his day could get any worse. A few minutes later, Cath Hilton comes in with a mug of tea for him, which she puts down on the coaster next to his Canon and Ball mouse mat. She looks at him sympatheically, Old Ted's accident has hit them all hard.

"Here John, I've brought you a brew. Looks like you could do with one."

John looks up and grins, "Thanks Cath. That was hard going in there wasn't it?"

"I can't argue with that. I've just seen all the visitors off the premises, thank goodness."

" Bloody tragedy, that's what it is and those bastards treat it like a spillage in aisle 3, to be mopped up and covered up. "

"That's why I like you, John Redmond, you've still got your humanity, despite being one of them! "

"One of them?"

" You know, a manager! "

"You know that's why I'll never go far!"

" You'll go as far as you want to go. People know what a good man you are!"

"I'm a bloody mug more like!" John knows that whatever he says to Cath won't go any further.

" Hey Cath, what do you know about the Managers shindig in September? "

"Black tie, music, decent food, somewhere nice? Never been invited but I've heard it's a lovely evening. Why's that?"

" I've got to go this year. Got to take a partner. " John groans again. " Do you think they'll mind if I ask me mum?" 

"John! Respect to your mum and all, but you can do better than that!" She looks at him sideways. " Are you sure you don't know anyone you could take?"

"I could ask me cousin Julie, I suppose."

" Someone who isn't related John! Don't you have any female friends? Well apart from me? "

John had a pensive expression, "Aye, I do, but I don't think she 'd want to go."

" Why don't you ask her and find out? You never know it might be fun. "

"What like a date?" John feels himself go all hot and cold and his hands go clammy. "I don't think she'd want to go on a date with me, I'm not her type." 

Cath is now distinctly interested in who had got John all of a do-dah. " But she's your type eh? "

John has realised what he has just let slip. "I didn't say that Cath. Just that she wouldn't want to go with me."

Cath smiles at him sympathetically, she has been picking up some distinctly un-John-like vibes from him lately, she hasn't been in Human Resources for the last twenty years without knowing something about people.

"Well, if it's who I think it is, you might be surprised!"

John looks at her in shock. "Who do you think it is?"

" Oh come off it! I didn't put you two together in the Car Share scheme for nothing John. I knew you two would get along. Tell me I'm wrong? "

John lets out a deep sigh. Truth be told, he likes Kayleigh more than he's even admitting to himself. He hasn't quite grasped yet what she means to him, but he's certain about one thing, she wouldn't go for a man like him so there's no point trying to get his heart crushed when he's spent years rebuilding his defences.

"Just think about it John. You don't have to ask her on a date. Just ask her to help you out as a friend. What have you got to lose? That must be better than taking your mum eh?"

Cath leaves John as she found him, with his head in his hands.

Over the next couple of weeks, John spent his work time, keeping his head down, writing and then enforcing his new Trolley Education policy, helping out Dave Thompson where he could, and his outside work time constantly vassilating between asking Kayleigh to accompanying him to the dinner dance or not. His self-doubt kicked in big time when Kayleigh started drooling over Old Ted's replacement and had begun to open up to him about her misadventures with online dating.

Catching up with John in the break room, Cath Hilton decided to grab the bull by the horns and come out and ask him if he has spoken to Kayleigh yet. She has watched John go from a man chuckling over something she's sure has something to do with his lovely travel companion, to a preoccupied and troubled man and back again over the past couple of weeks and it was time that stopped, in her opinion.

"So John, " Cath says without preamble, " have you asked her yet? "

"Eh?" John had been sat with a brew thinking about exactly that very thing.

" I'm guessing you have had your invitation by now? And I'm also guessing that you still haven't asked her yet? You'd better get a move on, you've got the classes to organise yet! It takes longer than you might think! "

John looked up with a rabbit in the headlights expression as Cath's words sank in and then changed to panic as the object of their discussion came through the door, intent upon retrieving her bag from her locker so she could go home at long last.

"Hiya John, Cath." Kayleigh had only heard the last part of their conversation, but it was enough to know that something was going on.

"Are you about ready John? I can't wait to get out of here today!"

" You go ahead Kayleigh, I won't be long! "

Kayleigh gives them both a long look before gathering her things and walking purposely out of the door to wait for John by his car.

"Do you think she heard?" John whispers urgently to Cath.

" There's only one way to find out, John. Just ask her eh? "

Out at the little red Fiat, Kayleigh stands pretending to be engrossed in her phone whilst waiting for John to appear. It was obvious there was something going on. What though, she couldn't quite hear. She's been aware for some time that John and Cath Hilton are thick as thieves, but she also knows that Cath has been happily married to Peter for the last fifteen years. Anyway it was something about John asking some woman something, so it wasn't anything to do with Cath, even though she seemed to know all about it. 

A terrible thought crossed Kayleigh's mind. What if it was something to do with that slapper , Rachel? She had been sniffing around John a lot lately. Perhaps he had confided in Cath that he wanted to ask her out. A scowl found its way into Kayleigh 's lovely face as she thought about John going anywhere with Rachel.  
At this moment, John appeared at the back door. Kayleigh arranged her features as she looked up and made a show of putting her phone back into its pink fluffy case and into her cavernous handbag.

"Everything OK, John?" Kayleigh couldn't help but ask. 

" Yes thanks, you ready? "

Right it's now or never, John thinks to himself as he fastened his seat belt.  
"Um...I've got something I want to talk to you about Kayleigh. Would you mind if we stopped off at the drive-thru on the way home?"

Oh God, please don't let him be asking me for advice about asking Rachel out! Kayleigh's thinking this while saying, " Of course John! Any excuse for a brew and a big fat muffin! "

Sitting in the car at the drive-thru, John and Kayleigh listen to Forever FM until John finds the courage to bring up the subject that's preoccupied him for the last couple of weeks.

"Um Kayleigh, I've got something to ask you. A favour if you like." John's looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"Why don't you just tell me John?" Kayleigh coaxed him gently. 

" I have to go to a work's do and I was wondering, well hoping really that you would go with me. Not as a date or anything like that... " he trails off knowing that he's not doing a very good job of selling the evening to her.

John tries again, "It'll be a black tie do, nice food and venue apparently. I'm not allowed to ask my mum, and I would rather go with you than anyone else."

" Oh right. A chance to dress up then? " Kayleigh knows she can't resist that face of his, even though he's just told her that he would rather take his mum.

"I suppose so, yes. Will you go with me?"

" Yes I will John. Thank you for asking me." Kayleigh 's trying to keep in how thrilled she is that John has asked her.

John gives her a shy grin in return. "There's just one more thing. Can you dance?"

" You saw me doing my Beyonce the other day, so what do you reckon? " Kayleigh says laughing.

"No I mean, can you dance properly? Ballroom...waltz, foxtrot that kind of dancing?"

" Like on Strictly? No, never done that before. Always wanted to, looks so romantic and classy. "

"Apparently we'd be expected to dance properly at this dinner and dance. So I guess we'd need to have a few lessons." 

" Oh John, I'd love that! When? Where? "


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Kayleigh get rather a surprise

John had given this some thought. If Kayleigh did say yes, then he had a bit of a plan. Picking his mum up from Zumba every Tuesday evening, John had to wait with the ballroom dancing group who had the Church hall after the Zumba class. He'd got chatting to Mrs McNaughty several times. She was a marvellous woman in her seventies who was a stalwart of the church, who'd been teaching dancing for years. She had taught John's parents to dance and was keen to get John to join the group, there were never enough men! John had always good-naturedly refused, but since he had been told about the work event, John had thought it might be a good idea to go for a couple of weeks before he asked Kayleigh. That way he could brush up on his own dancing and not make a total fool of himself in front of her. 

"There's a dance class in the church hall after me mum's Zumba class on a Tuesday night if you fancy going. It would only need to be for a few weeks just so we could get the hang of it. What do you reckon?"

Kayleigh claps her hands together in excitement. "Shall we start next week? What time is it? Shall I meet you there?" 

The following Tuesday evening, Kayleigh got to the church hall ten minutes early. She was hoping to meet John's mum, casually of course. What she wasn't expecting to see when she arrived was John and an older lady, who looked remarkably like John, dancing a waltz round the hall. The Zumba class were tidying up around them but seemingly used to their presence. 

John and his mum were enjoying themselves and didn't notice Kayleigh standing at the door. They were dancing to music that was only playing in their heads and when they had finished, John bowed formally to his mum, who curtsied back.   
Kayleigh was moved by this display of affection between them, instantly realising where John got his old fashioned ways from. Mrs McNaughty arrived with her cd player and a group of people, mainly women but also a few men, ready for their class.

John felt like he was being watched, said something to his mum and looked directly across at Kayleigh. John's mum waved as they walked over to greet her.

"You must be Kayleigh! I'm John's mum, Deirdre. Lovely to meet you at long last. John is always telling me about you!"

"Mum! I'm not really!" John feels like a teenager with his first girlfriend all over again.

" Yes you are John! What was the last thing? Lady Diana? Or wasn't it dogging? "  
John is aghast that his mum has brought this up and tries to usher her out of the hall. 

"You alright to get home mum?"

" Yes, Sandra is giving me a lift. I'll speak to you tomorrow. Nice to meet you Kayleigh. " She gives John a significant look before heading off to find her friend.

"Oh so you're always talking about me are you? Think I'd better get to know your mum a bit better. Might find out all sorts!" Kayleigh's really laughing at John's embarrassment.

"Take no notice, she's just exaggerating. She does that!"

As they are chatting, Kayleigh has definitely been noticed by all the members of the dance class. The few men hope that they will get a chance to dance with her and a few of the women are disappointed because they had had their eye on John for more than just a dance partner.

Mrs McNaughty comes across to say hello once she has set up her music. "Hello, dear. You must be John's friend Kayleigh."

" Kayleigh, this is Mrs McNaughty. She's a legend in these parts. Taught my parents to dance and lots of others besides."

"I'm pleased to be here, Mrs McNaughty. Always wanted to learn to dance. Well dance properly," she laughs, " I don't think my Beyonce moves would quite make it here, would they John? "

John joins in with her infectious laughter, "She's very good at twerking, but no, not suitable for here!"

The group had gathered round to listen to their conversation, "I bet she is", muttered one of the women who had got their eye on John.

" Right now, we'll just have a recap of the basics as Kayleigh is just joining us. John, would you show Kayleigh the basic ballroom hold? "

John nods seriously and raises his left arm in invitation to Kayleigh. He holds his hand out for Kayleigh to take, smiling broadly she walks towards him to take his hand.

"Very nice," Mrs McNaughty comments, "Now you close your fingers over his hand, that's the way. Now you need to stand closer. The right side of your body needs to be glued to the left side of his. " She moved Kayleigh so that she is in the correct position. " Your right hand goes on his arm, but don't grip, just rests like so, while his arm comes round you and his hand rests just below your shoulder blade, like this. Now can everyone take their partners and do the same?"

The rest of the group shuffle about the hall, finding a space and perform the same starting movements, leaving John and Kayleigh to stand in each other's arms waiting for further instruction.

The simple act of standing in ballroom hold had a mesmerising effect on both of them. The way Kayleigh fitted perfectly into his body was a huge shock to them both. They had had little physical contact before, just a touch on the arm from Kayleigh or John picking her up after she had fallen drunkenly when getting into his car. The hold was tighter than Kayleigh had expected and when she shyly looked up at John, she could see from his expression that he was equally affected. They both found that their breathing had become shallow, the reason they felt a little light-headed they separately supposed.

Mrs McNaughty smiled to herself observing John and Kayleigh. Over the years she had watched numerous couples walk into ballroom hold and very occasionally when a couple came together for the first time there was what she could only describe as "magic". It didn't happen very often, but there it was in front of her. The lucky couples invariably had a stunned expression on their faces, just like John and Kayleigh were wearing now. This reaction never failed to bring a tear to her eye. She herself had experienced it when she danced with her husband of forty-one years for the first time, and knew how profound the feeling could be.

While the others were getting themselves into the same postions, John and Kayleigh stood with their eyes locked, a small smile gracing their faces, as if nothing else around them existed. It was as if time stood still. Giving them time to enjoy the moment, Mrs McNaughty went round to the other couples, correcting their posture until she could delay no longer.

"Now don't forget that you shouldn't be looking at your partner, you should be looking to the left so that your shoulders are parallel and that you should be maintaining your points of contact. " 

John and Kayleigh are forced back into the room by Mrs McNaughty's directions and reluctantly they shift slightly to the side so they are standing in the correct position. Mrs McNaughty goes though the basic box step which is the basis of the waltz and the rumba and allows the couples to practice with each other. After a while she puts on some music which allows the couples to feel the music as they count out the six steps.

Kayleigh takes a little while for the steps to get into her muscle memory, longer than she had thought. Truth be told she was greatly distracted by being held so firmly by John. It took all of her concentration to remember to breathe, let alone remember the steps they were supposed to be doing.

John was in no better state. Even though he had been taught how to waltz as a boy by standing on his mum's feet and had had the benefit of two extra lessons, he found it took all his concentration just to guide them round the floor without stepping on her toes or losing his balance.

Once everyone was more or less gliding around the hall, Mrs McNaughty demonstrates how to execute a turn. Again, playing the music, the Fred Astaire version of Cheek to Cheek, Mrs McNaughty watches all the couples, giving them guidance when necessary. She finds herself watching John and Kayleigh more than the others, something about them is drawing her gaze. She doesn't interrupt them, not because they are technically perfect, far from it, but because they are so wrapped up in each other. She'll go through it with them another time.

Eventually the other couples notice John and Kayleigh and stop to look at them. Although their steps are not perfect by any means, and Kayleigh steps on John's toes several times, there is something sublime about the blissful expressions on their faces and the way they fit together. 

All too soon, Mrs McNaughty brings the class to a close at the end of their hour. John and Kayleigh step away from each other somewhat dazed. They are gradually made aware of the other members of the group by their chattering around them. 

"Well what did you think of ballroom dancing Kayleigh?" Mrs McNaughty enquires as John and Kayleigh are putting on their jackets and looking at each other shyly.  
For once Kayleigh is at a loss to describe the wonderful experience she has just had.

"I never realised," she sighed, " I never realised that I would fall in love with it. I mean you hear people say that on Strictly don't you? But I never really believed them. Until now. " 

" That's not all you've fallen in love with, my dear. " Mrs McNaughty says quietly to John and Kayleigh 's retreating backs.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Kayleigh are stunned. 
> 
> Based on S1 E4

Driving away from the church hall in Prestolee back to Kayleigh's, the atmosphere in the red Fiat was of stunned silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, they hadn't done those since their first morning car sharing, it was just that both John and Kayleigh were lost in their own thoughts. Kayleigh was realising that she was falling in love for the first time and it was dawning on John that he was in serious trouble. The last thing he wanted to do was to fall for anyone ever again, but the romance of dancing had got to him too. The sheer bliss of holding Kayleigh in his arms had begun to radiate through him until he felt he was full to the brim with happiness. A feeling very unfamiliar and unnerving to John. 

Kayleigh had known she had growing feelings for John. The little contact they had had around the store had been friendly, if brief, before their car sharing. What hit her suddenly tonight was the realisation that she was falling for him big time. It was these feelings that were threatening to overwhelm her.  
With such momentous feelings swirling inside them, all both of them wanted to do was to get away from each other to allow their experience to settle, to percolate, to brew. They were both mightily glad that the other could not read their thoughts. 

Arriving outside Kayleigh 's house John felt the pull, he now admitted to himself, he felt every time he dropped her off. The pull of not wanting to let her go. Kayleigh, unusually for her, felt the inexplicable need to run away.

John cleared his throat, "Thanks for coming tonight. I hope it wasn't too bad." He chances a quick glance in Kayleigh's direction.

Kayleigh smiles back at him, " I really loved it John. Thank you for asking me. I had a lot of fun. " She touches his arm all too briefly, "I'd better get going. Don't want to sleep through my alarm in the morning." She has a feeling that she's not going to be getting much sleep tonight. "

" No you best get off, I don't want to be waiting for you like I always do! "

"Cheeky fish! I'll see you in the morning."

" Night Kayleigh. " John smiles at her gently.

As predicted neither John nor Kayleigh got much sleep that night. By the time they met again the next morning, the revelations of the night before and lack of sleep had taken their toll. Kayleigh was subdued and John was in a bad mood. He had a headache that settled behind his eyes and failed to shift itself for most of the day.

"So how did it go?" Cath Hilton stands at John's door, contemplating the man before her. He looks as if he has been hit about the head with something heavy.

"It went that well then? Didn't she turn up?" Cath coaxes sympathetically.

"She turned up, alright." John looks up directly at Cath.

" Was it a disaster? " Cath is at a loss as to what's got John in this state.

"It was just the opposite, Cath. It was...well it was magical."

" John? Magical? Really? " Cath can hardly believe that John is being so whimsical.

"That's the only way I can describe it, Cath. Holding her in my arms..." John trails off with a faraway look in his eye.

" Oh John, that's lovely. And how is Kayleigh doing? "

"I don't know, Cath. She didn't say much this morning." 

"Don't you think she enjoyed herself?"

" She told Mrs McNaughty that she's didn't realise that she would fall in love with dancing. "

"Ah I see. And did you fall in love...with dancing too?"

John giving a look that tells Cath everything she needs to know. She's not going to get anything else out of John for now, so she sets off to the break room to try to catch up with Kayleigh.

Kayleigh was to be found just the same as she had found John, gazing into space with a stunned expression on her face.

"Hiya Kayleigh, love, how are you?" Cath smiles at her as she sits down in an adjacent seat.

" What? Yes, I'm OK, Cath. " Kayleigh is decidedly distracted.

"John's just been telling me about your dance class."

"Shush Cath, John doesn't want anyone to know! " Kayleigh looks round frantically to see if anyone else had come into the break room whilst she had been lost in her own thoughts.

"It's alright Kayleigh, we're here on our own. I wanted to ask how it went because I'm thinking of surprising my Peter with some dance lessons for his birthday this year." This was only a white lie. She had briefly considered buying her husband lessons but had very quickly dismissed the idea.

Kayleigh sighs wistfully. " I would recommend it Cath! You'll love it! It was so...lovely. " She looks up sharply, "Why what did John say?"

" He didn't say much to be honest. "

"Oh I knew he didn't enjoy it! I kept stepping on his toes. He didn't have much to say for himself afterwards. I bet he's regretting asking me now! "

"He didn't give me that impression. In fact I would say he felt just the opposite. " Cath is saved from having to say anything further by the interruption caused by a few staff entering the break room. 

The drive home that day was equally quiet as the drive in had been. John hadn't been able to shift his bad head and Kayleigh for once didn't know what to say. The more the silence continued, the more she had convinced herself that John had regretted asking her and now was too much of a gentleman to retract the offer.

On her way home, Kayleigh had received a text from Mandy to ask if she fancies going with her and her friend Shelley to the Beyonce concert at the arena. Their mate, Louise had had to pull out at the last minute because her youngest had been sent home from school that day with suspected Chickenpox. Kayleigh nearly said no, but given her state of mind, thought it would be a good idea to forget about everything for a while, so said yes. She had said nothing to John about going as he had become taciturn in the extreme and giving off the impression that all he wanted to do was to get her out of the car. 

After a fantastic night out at the Beyonce concert, Kayleigh had cleared her mind and was waiting for John to arrive so that she could show off some more of her Beyonce moves. John had seemed to have cheered himself up and chuckles at Kayleigh's antics on the pavement outside her house.  
Kayleigh's natural exuberance won over as she showed John her moves and spoke about how great a night she had had. 

"You didn't tell me you were going. Did you have a date?" John asks as casually as he can manage.

" You're kidding aren't you? My inbox has been barren for weeks! " Truth be told, Kayleigh didn't care. After the Jap Si incident she had no intention of putting up with any more weirdo's off the dating site. She briefly toyed with the idea of telling John it was a date, but her natural honestly came to the fore. She was hopeless at lying anyway.

John's fear that Kayleigh had had the best night of her life with some loser off Heartsearchers.com was assuaged and very quickly replaced by the mental image of Kayleigh squatting in heels. It was an image that he quickly had to put aside, (he had gone a bit not quite and was desperate not to let it show), to be brought out time and again when he was on his own. That and the image of Kayleigh with Beyonce. Although John had to admit to himself that he found Kayleigh way more attractive.

John and Kayleigh had both made a monumental effort to put all their awkwardness from the previous day aside and get back to some semblance of normality. This was made easier by being able to revert to their chattiness over how Kelly was getting on in Australia. Things seemed to be back on an even keel, arguing and laughing about dinosaurs and Geoff Capes.

Kayleigh had realised that she had touched a nerve when making fun of John's religious beliefs. She quickly steered the conversation away, making a joke about dinosaurs not existing, of course she knew they did! She just didn't want to offend John as she had begun to realise how large a role his church played in his life. 

John found himself telling Kayleigh about the disciplinary meeting he had been asked to sit in on after that carry on with Elsie and Janine Cosgrove. John had always been very careful not to discuss work matters outside work, but he found he couldn't resist telling Kayleigh. What he didn't tell her was this was to help out Dave Thompson and why. He had started the day dreading the prospect of having to give Elsie her marching orders. Cath Hilton was right, he had too much humanity left to be a successful manager. It did not help hearing Kayleigh 's version of Elsie's sob story. He knew that he wouldn't be able to sack her now, if only to please Kayleigh.

Arriving at work after John's altercation with the fit builder and her own rather alarming re-emergence of her aquaphobia and mistakenly overly liberal use of her lipstick, Kayleigh rushed off to the staff toilets to try to remedy the excess of red pigment around her lips. Inside she finds Elsie, leaning against the wall by the hand drier 

"Hiya Elsie! Look what I've gone and done! Thought it was lip balm!" Receiving no response, Kayleigh turns to look properly at her. " You OK, Elsie? What's the matter? "

"This is it for me Kayleigh. I'll be out the door after this meeting. I shouldn't have gone so far with that Janine Cosgrove. But she was on about my Eddie! She said she'd seen him with that Physio, what else was I going to do? I'm on my third written warning, Kayleigh." Elsie finished despondently.

Kayleigh goes and puts her arms around all of Elsie she can reach. Elsie sobs, huge shuddering tears that don't seem to stop.

"Shhhh, it'll be alright." Kayleigh strokes Elsie's back. "John's in that meeting isn't he?" He won't let that happen. He'll stick up for you. "

Elsie takes a few deep breaths. "Aye he's a good man, Mr Redmond. That Dave Thompson though, he's got it in for me."

" Listen Elsie, just let John sort it. Keep your mouth shut and apologise. I'll see you later, OK? "

Just before home time, Kayleigh catches up with Elsie again in the ladies toilets. She had been keeping her head down all day and had not heard what had happened with Elsie's meeting. After her aquaphobic episode on the way into work, Kayleigh had taken the best part of the day to recover. Without the aid of painkillers, Kayleigh just had to ride it out. That and the worry about her friend Elsie had given her nervous energy by home time that she was working off in the toilets by practicing her waltz steps, determined to get better for their next lesson. On top of all that she's trying to calm down at her last minute altercation with Dave Thompson about the Cos lettuces.

Elsie bursts through the outer door, to find Kayleigh counting her steps and waltzing backwards in front of the sinks.

"Hey up Kayleigh? What are you up to?" Elsie looks on in amusement.

" Oh I was just watching Strictly clips on You Tube. That Giovanni is gorgeous, isn't he? " Kayleigh knows it's a lame excuse, but it's all she can think of at short notice. "Oh God, is that the time? I'd better not keep John waiting! Oh how did your meeting go?" As much as she loves Elsie, she really wants to escape before Elsie makes her explain her strange behaviour.

Elsie has a huge grin on her face and puts up her two thumbs up in the manner of fan-dab-e-dozy. Kayleigh smiles back in relief and goes off to find John.

John's day had hardly been any better. He was still livid about his encounter with that builder and bothered by Kayleigh's odd behaviour in the car wash. The only consolation was that Kayleigh had been more tactile than usual, grasping his hand as if her life depended on it.

The disciplinary meeting had been rescheduled to the afternoon, after the management training due to some cock-up with one of the suppliers. John had sat through the training thinking about Kayleigh, contributing just enough to keep himself clear of criticism. Straight after the training, Dave Thompson had Elsie summoned up to his office, all prepared to kick her out of his store once and for all.

John, though had been more affected by Kayleigh 's pleading her friend's case than he cared to admit. Watching Elsie sit there contritely, while Janine Cosgrove was looking triumphant, albeit with a bandaged nose, John took pity on her. He managed to persuade Dave, with Cath Hilton's agreement, to give Elsie one last chance, with the proviso to stay away from Janine. 

Dave Thompson was none too pleased and tried to catch John at the end of the day to find out what the bloody hell was going on. He had been successfully manoeuvered into keeping Elsie on by John, backed up by Cath Hilton. He didn't like it one little bit, but there was nothing he could do about it until she stepped out of line again, which she inevitably would. John, however was swift on his feet at home time, escaping Dave Thompson's ire. He reached the back door just in time to see John and Kayleigh drive off in John's car. Shaking his head, Dave goes back up to his office and gives them ten minutes before calling John, knowing very well that Kayleigh will be a party to the conversation . The mood he's in, he's enjoying listening to John squirm.

As much as Kayleigh is beside herself with rage at the rudeness of Dave Thompson, she was deeply moved by John's saving of Elsie. Despite their tiff, when John pulls up outside her house, Kayleigh doesn't immediately rush to get out as John was expecting. Instead she sits and then turns in her seat towards him. She touches him on the arm, "Thank you , John. " She says gently.

" Thank you for saving Elsie. I know you must've put yourself on the line for her. I'm proud of you, you know. You didn't have to do that. "

John looks back at her shocked. "She's alright is Elsie. I didn't do much really."

" You did John! Oh and there's another thing. I know we haven't spoken about the class. " She looks down to where her hand is still resting on John's arm. "I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed it," she pauses, " but if you want to take someone better, I'll understand . "

John gazes back at her adoringly, "Kayleigh, I..."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kayleigh finds a way to practice

John turns and reaches out to take Kayleigh's hand when there 's a loud tap on Kayleigh's door window. It's Ken, smiling away with Misty, on her pink fake jewel encrusted lead, dancing about now she's heard her mummy's voice.

"I thought I'd take Misty for a walk, nothing on the telly," he says, " fancy coming with me? "

John and Kayleigh sigh deeply and simultaneously. Kayleigh lowers her window and with a cheerfulness she doesn't feel and says, "I'll be with you in a minute Ken."

John has snatched his hand back along with the courage that was going to allow him to tell her how he felt.

"You're wanted here, you'd best go dogging with Ken! "

Kayleigh looks at him with can be only be described as disappointment. 

"What were you going to say John?" she tries to recapture the moment but knows it's passed.

John clears his throat, " I was going to say...that I enjoyed the class too. I want you to be my...dance partner. " He averts his gaze to where Kayleigh 's little white dog, a Shitzu he guesses, is rushing round in excited circles waiting for Kayleigh to appear. "You and me both, Misty." He thinks.

Kayleigh smiles, despite the fact that she was convinced that John was going to say something else. "I've been practising. I will get better, John I promise!"

Before John could reply, Kayleigh gets out of the car to drop to her knees to cuddle a wriggling Misty. John looks at her with longing. Of all the many things that are endearing about Kayleigh, her open heart and love of animals are close to the top of the list for John. He realises that he misses having a dog. He's not had one since he was a teenager, his work life not enabling him to practically keep a dog. 

"I'll see you in the morning!" He calls as he drives off to the stains of Rod Stewart on Forever FM...

"My love for you is immeasurable  
My respect for you immense  
You're ageless, timeless, lace and fineness  
You're beauty and elegance

You're a rhapsody, a comedy  
You're a symphony and a play  
You're every love song ever written  
But honey, what do you see in me?

You're in my heart, you're in my soul  
You'll be my breath should I grow old  
You are my lover, you're my best friend  
You're in my soul..." *

Ken had seen John and Kayleigh pull up to the curb before they spot him. They seem to be having a deep conversation, but he cannot hold on to Misty for much longer without her pulling him over, so he has to tap on the window to get her attention.

"You seem to be getting serious there, Kayleigh. Everything OK?" Ken isn't an overly nosy person, but he cares for Kayleigh , so asks the question anyway.

"We were just talking about the dance class me and John have just joined, Ken."

" I expect you two are going Line Dancing or that modern, what do they call it? Twerking? "

Kayleigh lets out a genuinely mirthful laugh at the thought of John doing either of those dances. She instantly has the mental image of John dressed up in all the gear, Stetson and boots, line dancing to Achy Breaky Heart. 

"No Ken, ballroom dancing. John has to go to a high-flying dinner dance for work and he's asked me if I would go with him, it being frowned upon to take his mum."

Ken chuckles, he can't honestly believe that John would rather take his mum. He's seen the way John looks at her. If he had been thirty years younger, he might look at her that way too. 

"I'll just go and get changed, won't be a minute." Kayleigh rushes off so she can join them in their walk over the back field.

Strolling on the little path that skirts the field at the back of the houses, Kayleigh and Ken enjoy the still warm evening.

"Me and my Connie used to go to dances, back in our day. It's where we met." Ken sighs wistfully , thinking about his late wife.

"Did you Ken? How lovely!"

"How are you liking it? " Ken looks at Kayleigh sideways.

"We've only had one lesson so far. I'm not very good. I'm afraid that John will get fed up with me and want to take someome else."

Ken hides his grin. The likelihood of John wanting another partner was pretty slim, if tonight was anything to go by. "I could give you some lessons, you know without John knowing, if you like?"

" Really Ken? That would be great. I swear, if I tread on his feet one more time! " 

"I'll dig out some of our old records. You might have to give me a hand moving the furniture back a bit.

Kayleigh and Ken didn't manage to fit in a lesson that evening, it was getting a bit late by the time that had got back from their walk. However the following evening, Kayleigh had gone round after her Good For You tuna pasta bake, to find Ken rummaging through his box of LP's searching for the records that he and Connie used to dance to. Kayleigh moved the chairs out of the way, and her and Ken spent a pleasant hour waltzing around his front room. 

"It's all about repetition to start with." Ken tells her when they're having a breather. " Letting your partner lead and feeling the music. "

"So you think I'm going to get this? I wouldn't want to show John up in front of his bosses." Kayleigh is constantly worried that some catastrophe will occur, she'd do anything for this to go well for John.

" Everyone will be dazzled by your beauty, Kayleigh. They'll be too busy wondering where John found you to be noticing if you do a few wrong steps. I'm sure John won't mind! "

"You know this isn't a date right?"

" What? What do you mean it's not a date?"

They both look at each other confused. 

"When John asked me. He specifically said it wouldn't be like a date. I'd be just a friend helping him out."

Ken nods wisely, his blue eyes twinkling at her despite his glaucoma. "Oh right. Well if that's what he said!"

" I don't get what you mean Ken. "

"Did you ever think that John might think that you are way out of his league? That the only way you would go with him is as his friend?"

" How could he think that? " Kayleigh is genuinely baffled at the suggestion.

"Well, if I were John, that's what I'd be thinking. I was punching way above my weight with my Connie, but somehow she loved me anyway."

Ken allows this titbit to sink in before calling it a day for their dancing for that evening. 

The next few days went past with neither John nor Kayleigh mentioning their little episode in the car or the dance class. Kayleigh manages to fit in another couple of impromptu lessons with Ken so feels much more confident when she turns up to the next lesson.

When Kayleigh walks into the Church hall, she sees John in urgent conference with his mum. There's much hand waving coming from his mum and a lot of arm folding and head shaking from him. 

Plastering on her best enthusiastic smile, Kayleigh heads towards the Redmonds wondering what John's mum could be staying that would get him all defensive.

"Hello! How are you both?" Kayleigh greets them cheerfully.

" Hello dear, John is being very stubborn! "

"Tell me something I don't know!" Kayleigh laughs , "What's he saying no to now?"

John looks abashed at his display but is remaining firm, " That couple over there," he nods towards a couple in their thirties looking towards them, " want to swop partners. "

Kayleigh 's face falls, she's been looking forward to dancing with John all week.

"It would be good for you both to dance with someone else." John's mum hadn't witnessed her son and Kayleigh dancing together the previous week so has no idea what a terrible suggestion it was.

" Oh? Do you want to John? " Kayleigh can't hide her dismay.

"No I don't! Look we came here to learn to dance together! And that's what I want to do. " He glanced over at the other couple, who are watching on with interest, and then back at Kayleigh.

Kayleigh 's face lights up. "I thought you might want to get rid of me John." 

" Far from it! If we were just learning to dance, sure we could dance with other people, but we've not got much time, so I think we should stick with each other for now. "

Mrs McNaughty joins the little group, seeing the animated conversation.

"Are we ready to start?" she smiles kindly at John and Kayleigh.

"We were just discussing whether they should try dancing with other partners." Deirdre explains.

Mrs McNaughty smiles at their horrified faces.

" Why don't you two get into your starting positions? " she says to John and Kayleigh while pulling Deirdre aside. "Just stay and watch them. You'll see. "

John and Kayleigh find themselves a space in the middle of the room and take up the ballroom hold. A look of serenity and contentment comes over them both while they are waiting for the rest of the group to get themselves ready. Deirdre and Mrs McNaughty watch them from the side of the room. 

"Right now, we'll do a turn about the room once without music to see what you've remembered from last week. After three..."

All the couples take up their positions and begin to dance. As John and Kayleigh begin to dance, the magic they felt before returned with full force. Kayleigh, because of her lessons with Ken, is smiling with confidence and joy, John has a look of supreme contentment and pride as he sweeps Kayleigh round the floor.

"See! We can't possibly split these two up! It's magic!" Mrs McNaughty remarks to her friend as they watch the pair making their way round the room.

" Do you think they know?" Deirdre has a tear in her eye.

"I think it hit them last week. They've probably been denying it since, well I expect John has. "

"I can see why they were so upset at the thought of being split up. I'd better get off, my lift is waiting." Deirdre leaves reluctantly, lingering as long as she can to watch them some more.

Once Mrs McNaughty judges that her couples have been round the room once, she brings them to a halt.

"That was better, wasn't it John?" Kayleigh asks John, eager to have his approval.

John gives her a beaming smile, "Aye it were alright " he says with a wink.

"Today we're going to be learning the lock step and pivot." Mrs McNaughty goes on to break down the steps and demonstrate them. " I'm going to talk to you through the men's steps first, then the ladies..."

The class was a lot of fun, pivoting was exhilarating when they got it right, making John and Kayleigh breathless with their exertion and their laughing.

"Well, I think we've got a lot more practice to get that right!" Kayleigh laughs breathlessly. 

"You've been practicing from last week ," John's impressed with how Kayleigh has picked up the steps they did the week before.

"Oh just a little bit. Elsie caught me in the Ladies at work! I had to make up some lie about Strictly!"

" She didn't believe you, I bet! " John chuckles at the image he has of Kayleigh being walked in on by the giant Irish woman.

"I don't think she noticed John. She was too happy you had saved her job." She pats his arm affectionately.

While stopped for a breather, John and Kayleigh were approached by the couple who had evidently wanted to swop partners.

"Hiya, I'm Marie and this is my brother, Ralph. How are you liking the class?" 

Kayleigh exchanges a look with John. " Hello, I'm Kayleigh, this is John. We're loving it, aren't we John? "

John grins at Kayleigh and her deliberately not categorizing their relationship.

"Aye we are that."

" You're doing well, Kayleigh. Have you done this before? " Ralph's obvious flattering of Kayleigh makes John's hackles rise.

"No we're both new to this, but you're a quick learner, aren't you Kayleigh?" He moved closer to her protectively.

Kayleigh laughs, "I try, John. I try!" 

" So what do you think about swooping partners for a bit? " Marie is nothing if not persistent.

John and Kayleigh exchange another look.

"Well we don't have much time to learn this, so we'd rather stay together really." Kayleigh says as pleasantly as she can manage , she's not liking the way Marie is eyeing up John.

"Oh what can one go hurt? " Ralph encourages.

Mrs McNaughty has caught wind of their conversation and thinks she'll go along with it to show John and Kayleigh something.

"Shall we start again? Take your partners!"

John shuffled awkwardly towards Marie, who takes up her position smugly. Kayleigh is equally uncomfortable in taking up hold with Ralph. The new couples practice what they had learnt under the watchful eye of Mrs McNaughty. John and Kayleigh had tense expressions and were holding themselves stiffly, not enjoying their new partners in the slightest. Mrs McNaughty smiles to herself as she tells everyone to go back to their original partners.

Ralph and Marie weren't best pleased to be back together but John and Kayleigh couldn't be happier. They sigh a collective sigh as they resume their pivoting, content to be in each other's arms. 

"Don't ever let that happen again John!"

 

Read more: Rod Stewart - You're In My Heart Lyrics | MetroLyrics


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not a perfect day!

John and Kayleigh 's dancing experience and the feelings it engendered were just as profound after their second lesson as it had been the week before. John went home to soak in his deep, double ended bath. It was his little bit of luxury after another endless day at work. He got out his candles and put the Enya playlist on his iPod, put his nice Lush bubbles into the running hot water and laid back. He laid thinking about Kayleigh and how good she felt in his arms. An hour disappeared this way. By the time John hauled himself out of the water, he was ready to go to bed. He'd put his mobile on charge before he'd got into his bath so without looking at it again, John slipped into his bed to continue his dreaming.

As a consequence, John had failed to see the text Kayleigh had sent him when she got home. She had completely forgotten, until her brother-in-law Steve had arrived, that he would be dropping off his children Alfie and Chloe to stay the night. Her sister Mandy had got a cancellation to get her legs done at a private clinic in the city centre. It was a day procedure but she would need time to recover, which she would do more quickly without the kids. Kayleigh had instantly offered to have them, but what with her preoccupation with John and their dancing, she had completely forgotten until Steve had arrived with the kids and their stuff in tow. 

After some supper, Kayleigh had the kids get ready for bed. Alfie went into Keiran's bed, free because Keiran was staying with an Army pal, and Chloe went in with her.

"I'd better text John to see if it's alright to drop you off in the morning." Kayleigh says half to herself and half to Chloe.

" Who's John, Auntie Kayleigh? Chloe asks as she's settling herself into Kayleigh's double bed and Kayleigh is reaching for her phone. 

"Uncle John is my friend from work who I car share with. I need to ask him if he minds if he drops you off in the morning. " 

"Will he, do you think?"

" No, he 's very kind, despite what he appears like sometimes. " Kayleigh smiles at her phone as she composed the text to John. She waits for a few minutes, but on receiving no reply, she settles herself down to think about John and their dancing. 

The following morning is a mad rush to get the kids ready in time for John to arrive. She didn't want to keep him waiting, especially because he was doing her this favour. She'd still had no reply when she's checked her phone as soon as she'd woken up, but as he hadn't responded she took that as a good sign and waited for him to arrive in his little red car. 

Kayleigh had had little time to relive the night before, she's fallen asleep with a contented smile on her face sooner than she had expected and had spent the morning shuvvying the kids to get dressed, eat their breakfast, clean their teeth and brush their hair. 

When John arrived outside Kayleigh 's he was still talking to his nana Rose. He loves her, he does, but she has no concept of time despite the fact he had announced when he had phoned her that it would be a quick chat because he was on his way to work. Unusually for John he 'd had to rush round to get ready this morning. Usually he was ready to get up by the time his alarm went off at six, but this morning he had laid about thinking about him and Kayleigh for far too long. He's seen that he's got a text from Kayleigh just as he was on his way out, but hadn't had time to look at it. He'd only just remembered to phone Rose at the last minute to wish her a happy birthday.  


So it was a shock when Kayleigh emerged from her house with two children. He guessed they might be Mandy's kids, but had no idea why they would be coming with them this morning.

As Kayleigh 's feelings for John began to emerge she had also began to doubt why a funny and intelligent man like John would want her, as more than a friend anyway. Seeing the pink envelope on her seat as she got in John's car, these feelings resurface with an almighty thwack about her head. It was obviously a card for a woman, nobody sends a card to a man with a pink envelope. Rachel? Some woman from the dance class? Some random woman she didn't even know about?

"Got yourself a girlfriend at long last?" Kayleigh doesn't quite keep the sharpness out of her voice.

Sitting in the back of the car, Alfie can see that his Auntie likes this man and is obviously rattled by the card she's holding. Alfie doesn't like anyone upsetting his Auntie so does the most irritating thing he can think of...repeating everything the man said. Perfect wind up...works on his dad and is succeeding in with winding up this man Auntie Kayleigh seems to like so much.

Kayleigh is surprised and hurt that John hasn't seen her text. Why not? What has he been doing to keep him away from his phone? It's never far away, perhaps he was busy texting someone else? Fortunately the kids keep these jealous thoughts under the surface.

John isn't as obtuse as he makes out sometimes. He can see that Kayleigh is upset with him for not seeing her text. He can see the irony of missing her text by thinking about her too much. John sees the opportunity to show off his physical prowess to her by running to the post box as they are sat in traffic. Unfortunately for him this ends in humiliation and a sprained wrist.

Sitting in another little red car much later on in the day Kayleigh couldn't help but agree with John. Perfect end to a perfect day! After the tow truck had dropped John's car to the garage, John's mum, who's received an urgent text from John, came to pick up the still ill-tempered pair.

Deirdre takes one look at them and guessed the situation immediately. "Right," she says breezily, " I'll drop you off first John, you've got things to sort out I would imagine. " John grunts in gratitude. 

"You'll have to tell me where you live Kayleigh, so I can get you home. " Looking at Kayleigh it's perfectly clear that she's just about holding it together and needs to get home and away from John.

Giving John a sharp look as they get into her little Peugeot 105, Deirdre drives the short distance to John's house enveloped by a strained silence.

"Now you must go and see the doctor about your arm John! No arguing! I'll pop round later to see how you're doing." Deirdre will brook no argument from her son, knowing that she will be having words with him later. 

With John gone, Deirdre gently presses Kayleigh to tell her what happened. She wasn't prepared, though for Kayleigh still to be mid-tale by the time they pull up outside Kayleigh 's house ten minutes later.

" So daft cow that I am I only go and put petrol in his diesel car! I could kick myself I really could!" Kayleigh starts to cry.

"I'm sure John knows it was an accident." Deirdre tries to reassure an inconsolable Kayleigh, "He'll calm down in time. He gets his short temper from me, I'm afraid."

"Oh that's bad enough, but I found out today that my brother is going to have to move away permamently with his job. I'm going to have to move. "

" Where will you go? " Deirdre is trying her best to soothe an increasingly upset Kayleigh.

"I'm going to have to ask our Mandy."

"But that won't be for long. And John will still pick you up!" Deirdre is beginning to suspect that these two care a great deal for each other and won't be long until things progress between them if the dancing was anything to go by.

" She lives in Bury! " Kayleigh wails, "I can't ask him to carry on car sharing, and he'll have to find another dance partner and all! He's probably been wanting to ask that Rachel but has been too nice, but now he can! "

Deirdre doesn't know what to say to make Kayleigh feel better. 

"I don't know about all that, but I 'll tell you one thing I do know. John loves dancing with you Kayleigh. You only have to watch the two of you together. It's the last thing you should be worrying about. I don't know who this Rachel is, but I bet John doesn't give her a second look!"

"He does though! He was talking to her today! I saw them! She's asked him out for a drink!" Kayleigh 's working herself up again.

Deirdre laughs outright at this. " I wish her luck with that! "

"What?" Kayleigh was just starting to like John's mum and now she was wishing that tramp Rachel luck!

" Oh you've got me wrong Kayleigh love. First of all John doesn't drink. Secondly he never fraternises with his staff. He's seen what damage that can do over the years. He won't be going for a drink with Rachel, honestly. " Deirdre pats Kayleigh's hand before she gets out of the car.

"Thanks for the lift, Mrs Redmond." Kayleigh says with a heavy heart , feeling this would be last time they would meet. 

"Don't despair Kayleigh, we'll find a way!" 

On her way back over to John's, Deirdre mutters to herself about her son's stupidity, amongst other things. Finding he was sat at his kitchen table on the phone to his insurance company organising a courtesy car for the following day, Deirdre makes them both a brew, sitting patiently until he had finished.

"Sorted?" Deirdre asks with her eyebrows raised.

" Yep, got a courtesy car being delivered tomorrow morning. "

"Right then, get changed. Hurry up!" Deirdre has her don't - mess -with -me -I'm -still - you're - mother voice, so John meekly gets up and goes upstairs to change out of his work suit.

"Where are we going?" John knows but hopes he can persuade his mother he'll be fine with some more painkillers.

" I'm taking you to the Walk-in clinic and no arguing. And while we're waiting we need to have a little talk about Kayleigh! " 

John groans but allows himself to be lead out to his mum's car, knowing better than to try to argue with her. Unusually for John, the more frustrated he became waiting for his turn at the clinic the quieter he became. His mum regarded him for some time, deciding the best way to approach the topic they needed to discuss.

"So, bad day then?" 

"You could say that, mum. Bloody shite day! I've still got to write to the council! "

"What have they done now?" Deirdre sighs knowing John's propensity for writing letters to whoever has got his goat next.

"If they maintained the paths properly, I wouldn't have fallen over running back from the post box. Bastards!"

"What were you doing running John?" Deirdre is holding in her laughter, but only just.

"It were a bet with Kayleigh, weren't it?" John's complexion reddens as he recalls the humiliation and pain that his hubris had caused.

"So you were showing off in front of Kayleigh and you fell over, is that it?"

John hadn't quite seen it like that, but had to admit that in a certain light, that's exactly what he had been doing.

"And what's this I've been hearing about this Rachel?" Deirdre has got John on the ropes and she knows it.

"What? What about Rachel?" How did she know about Rachel?

" Is it true that this floozy has asked you out? And that you're considering it? " Deirdre's shaking her head at him in disapproval. 

"No mum...well she did ask me if I fancied a drink some time." John sighs, " But no I'm not considering it. You know my no fraternisation policy. "

"Well you'd better explain that to Kayleigh because she was in bits on the way back to her's. She thinks you're going to dump her and go dancing with that Rachel." 

John allows himself a small grin, "She does, does she?" Seeing his mum glowering at him, " Of course I'm not mum. I asked Kayleigh to go with me. I still want that despite her putting petrol in me car! "

"Well John, you'd better convince her! The poor girl is broken hearted. Oh and you'd better find a way for her to continue the classes once she moves to Bury! "

Deirdre judges that she has said enough and gives John some spaces to think about what she's said. 

Before going to bed, John texted Kayleigh to say that he was sorry for shouting. Kayleigh accepted his apology without rancour and enquired about his arm. Their good nights were exchanged with John assuring her that he was OK to drive and would be round in the morning to pick her up in his courtesy car.

Kayleigh didn't get much sleep that night, there was too much going on in her head. By the time it got for her to get ready for work, Kayleigh decided that it would be best if she could see if she could get some time off work to get the move organised. She didn't know how she would have time to do it otherwise. 

"Oh hiya Cath, it 's Kayleigh. I'm sorry to ring you so early," Kayleigh has decided to call Cath Hilton on her work mobile , " I'm OK thanks. I have a problem I'm hoping you can help me with. I have to move house pretty quickly Cath. My brother has to move abroad for his work and I need to sell up, I can't afford to wait. " 

"I'm sorry to hear that Kayleigh. I'm sure you can take some of your holiday. Would a week be alright?" Cath Hilton tries to be accommodating where she can, and recognised that Kayleigh genuinely needs the time off.

"Yes thank you, Cath." With that Kayleigh drops John a quick text to let him know that she was having the week off and wouldn't need him to come and pick her up.

John doesn't make the mistake of not reading Kayleigh's text this time. He reads it, sighs deeply, and makes his way to work, alone. "I'm going to get Kayleigh a present," he thinks, "and I know something she'll like."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The week before their last day....and their last day.

The following four days are busy but lonely ones for John. John misses Kayleigh not only for their car share journeys but also her presence around the store. He sets to work in tracking down the present he had in mind for her, which is no mean feat in itself, but it gives him something to think about that isn't that their car sharing is coming to an end. He's also having to fend off endless enquiries about Kayleigh 's welfare and whereabouts from the likes of Diane and Pamela off Non-Foods, Elsie and a number of other colleagues who are concerned and curious in equal measure.

"For the last time, she's OK! If you're that bothered why don't you text her or better still speak to her yourself!" John's no good at hiding his exasperation at the best of times, but worse now that he's missing her and hasn't had much contact with her himself. 

Sitting at his desk on Thursday afternoon, John has a vision of what it would be like if Kayleigh no longer worked in the store and no longer in his life. It was not a life he relished at all. It was like A Christmas Carol, he was Scrooge getting a second chance not to have a lonely, loveless and bitter life, so he'd better not mess it up.

John had dropped his Mum off to her Zumba class on the Tuesday evening. Rather than waiting for her in the vestibule of the church hall for her to finish as had been his custom before they had started the dance class, John took a stroll round the block. He found a nice little cafe, where he treated himself to a brew and a bacon sandwich and a read of the paper until it was time to meet his mum. 

Unusually for Deirdre, she doesn't linger after her class and is half way out of the door by the time John makes it back to his car. Mrs McNaughty is walking from her car, carrying her CD player, seeing John and Deirdre about to leave, comes up to them.

"You're not staying John?" 

John holds up his bandaged wrist, "Can't this week, Mrs McNaughty, just picking mum up. "

"Not serious I hope? What about Kayleigh?"

John exchanges a look with his mum, "She can't make it this week either I'm afraid." He holds his wrist up , "This is just a sprain, should be right in a few days."

" I'm sorry to hear that John. I hope we'll see you both back next week. You'll be missed. " Mrs McNaughty exchanges the universal "call me" hand gesture with Deirdre under John's amused gaze.

"Will Kayleigh be back next week?" Deirdre gets straight to the point. 

"I don't know. I hope so." John doesn't sound particularly optimistic.

"Have you found a way of making that happen?" Deirdre is not about to let this go.

"I don't know how long it will take her to move and if she'll want to carry on once she's over in Bury." John remarks glumly.

"I think she will. In fact I know she will. You'd better make sure you tell her you want her. She thinks you want to take that Rachel but are too nice to ask." She looks at John with that all-knowing look that tells John she knows exactly where the land lies.

"I will. But we're just friends you know."

"If you say so John. " Deirdre grins as she gets out of his car.

The week was spent productively by Kayleigh. Kieran had already gone to Cyprus and had cleared out his stuff. Despite appearances, Kayleigh could be very organised and focused. She had worked her way through her copious To Do lists, so by Thursday she felt much more on top of things and didn't want to use up any more of her holiday entitlement. Kayleigh called Cath Hilton to confirm that she would be back to work in the morning. Cath subsequently arranged for her costume to be delivered to her house for the following day's promotion. With a smile she also texted John after she had spoken to Cath Hilton to ask if he would pick her up in the morning for one last time.

It just so happened that John was in the break room making himself a brew when his phone chimed to tell him he had a text. His face lit up as he read the text was from Kayleigh, but it soon fell, sad once he's read that tomorrow was to be their last car share together. 

Cath Hilton was watching John, guessing who his text was from. Smiling she asks, "Everything alright John?"

John is lost in his own thoughts, " Hmm? What? Yes everything's fine Cath. Bloody marvellous! " 

"Doesn't sound like it." Cath observes.

"Sorry Cath, got things to do." John rushed off with the look of a preoccupied man.

John hadn't expected that he would see Kayleigh until the following week which meant that his evening would be busier than he had expected if he was going to have ready his surprise for Kayleigh.

Friday morning dawned too early for both John and Kayleigh. John had been up half the night still working on his surprise for Kayleigh while Kayleigh had been trying her best to sort through her belongings so she wouldn't have too much to do on her last night in her house.

John had managed to finish his surprise, which he had stowed in the boot of the car so Kayleigh wouldn't spot it too soon. Kayleigh had got herself ready and was waiting for John for the last time.

Despite trying to put on a brave face, John and Kayleigh were unbearably sad that this was to be their last morning travelling in together. Kayleigh had one last ditch attempt to eek out the precious time they had together, persuading John to stop off somewhere to eat. In the easy atmosphere of the cafe Kayleigh revealed that she hasn't been eating due to the upset of the move. Not many people were allowed to see the deeper side of Kayleigh. The side that didn't hide her upset behind her beautiful smile and infectious laugh. John revealed, in his turn that he ate when he was upset, and truth be told this is what he had been doing this last week without her. He was a sucker for Cadbury's Chocolate fingers but his absolute favourite was those huge bars of Galaxy. They were on special promotion in the store and much to his shame, John had polished off one and was making significant inroads into the second. He knew exactly why he was so miserable and she was sat opposite him in the little cafe, looking equally unhappy.

Just when you wished time would slow down to postpone the inevitable, time had the uncanny knack of doing exactly the opposite. All too soon, the end of the working day had arrived. Kayleigh had spent the day dressed as a black currant, in some ways glad that the promotion for National Jam Week kept her busy so all the enquiries about her welfare were mercifully kept to a minimum. Unlike the amount of time she had spent scrubbing her face in a vain attempt to remove the purple face paint. The promotions team would be having serious words with management about those blasted face paints. Cheryl, dressed as a strawberry, and looking as fed up as Kayleigh was, stood in the smokers' shelter waiting for her fella to pick her up. As she was going straight home she'd not been so bothered about getting it all off her face as Kayleigh had been. 

John had seen Kayleigh and Cheryl chatting as they went into the Ladies, he rushed out to his car to remove the present bag from his boot and stow it behind Kayleigh 's seat. John wasn't exactly sure when he had started thinking of his front seat as Kayleigh's seat, but it was how he thought of it now. He dreaded having to car share with anyone else but had managed to postpone this conversation with Cath Hilton until the following week. Knowing his luck he would end up with Elsie or Stink Ray.

Hanging about waiting for Kayleigh to appear, John couldn't avoid Rachel, who'd walked up to him purposefully, determined to grab a few minutes with him before Kayleigh appeared. John knew very well how Kayleigh felt about Rachel. It was a fine line for him to tread to keep the right side of professional whilst giving her no encouragement on a personal level. He did think that Rachel would be an asset for his Christmas Team, but that was far as his interest went.

Outwardly John chatted easily to Rachel whilst keeping a weather eye out for Kayleigh. As silly as it was for a grown man, he really wanted Kayleigh to shield him. He had been feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the attention that Rachel had been paying him, obviously setting her cap at him, now that Ian Hardy had escaped to Burnley. 

Make up was literally, as well as figuratively, a mask worn to arm the wearer against the outside world. With her face scrubbed clean, but not entirely free of the purple, Kayleigh felt vulnerable and unprotected as she emerged from the back door to walk up to where John and Rachel were talking too familiarly with each other. Kayleigh was too caught up in her own feelings to notice John's discomfort. Her usual standby of humour when she found herself in an uncomfortable situation fell flat, due in no small part to Kayleigh 's lack of confidence in her appearance. She could just about hold her own with Rachel when she was perfectly made-up and coiffed, but in that moment Kayleigh felt unable to compete with the tall blonde. She was thoroughly defeated and she and Rachel knew it. 

Climbing into the car for the final time, John was only semi-oblivious to do what had just played out before him. He was desperate for them not to fall out not on their last journey home together. So much so that he confided one of his most closely guarded secrets, his musical ambitions. Another one of the adorable things about Kayleigh was that she forgave without rancour and hardly ever bore a grudge. Having been reassured that John was not going to be fraternising with Rachel, Kayleigh was completely enthralled at John's musical revelations.

"I'm sharing a car with a pop star!"

" Hardly! " John's delighted at Kayleigh 's reaction. Usually he got this piss taken out of him so Kayleigh genuine enthusiasm made him want to invite her to one of his upcoming gigs, Non-fraternisation policy be buggered!

Arriving all too soon outside her house, they couldn't prolong the inevitable parting any longer. A chaste kiss and an exchange of presents and John was off.  
Tearful at John's departure, Kayleigh took off her work jacket. She didn't bother changing out of her leggings once she got in. She put the kettle on, putting John's present bag on the side in the kitchen. She recommenced packing her plates etc, all except what she would need for that evening.

Half an hour later, Mandy appeared carrying a bag of takeaway Chinese food.

"Alright Kayleigh? How are you getting on?" Mandy asks, putting her bag down on the kitchen table. "What have you got left to do?"

There was no way Mandy was going to leave her on her own on her last night in their old family home.

"Not much now Mandy. Thanks for this." Kayleigh gives her sister a wan smile.

"I don't know about you, but I'd rather have this!" Mandy produces a bottle of red wine out of her handbag. Voluminous handbags were a trademark of the Kitson women.

" Thank God for screw caps! Whoever invented them deserves a bloody medal! I'll just get us some glasses if you'd dish out the Kung Po. "

Mandy finds a couple of large wine glasses that Kayleigh had not yet packed. "Hey what's this? You're not leaving the country like our Kelly are you?"

Kayleigh's distracted by serving up their meal from the foil containers onto plates, to notice that Mandy was looking with great interest at the present bag from John she'd left on the side.

" Oh that's from John. " Kayleigh says with a sad smile.

"Well what is it then? Can I?" At the nod from Kayleigh, Mandy reaches in to take out the bright red novelty heart lamp. Along with the tissue paper, something else is pulled out of the bag and clatters onto the tiled kitchen floor. 

"What's this?" Mandy bends down to pick up the CD case from the floor.

" Let me look! I didn't know there was anything else in the bag. John never said."

Mandy handed over the case and then watched Kayleigh 's face change expression and then colour. Inside the case, part from the burned cd were two pieces of paper. The first said:

Kayleigh,

I've been wondering what I could do to convince you that it's you I really want to dance with and only you. So I've made you this dvd. It's the best waltzes from Strictly. I'm not saying I'll get anywhere close to being this good, but I'd like to try. 

When I took mum to Zumba this week I found this place I thought we might go to after work on Tuesday to grab a quick bite before dance class, if that's OK with you?

I've also come across this Michael Bublé fella, he's quite good and some of his songs we could waltz to. One of his songs, the last one, is to remind you that you're not on your own.

See you next week

John

Behind the note, John had stapled a flyer to a cafe close to the Church hall.  
Kayleigh was astonished. Not only had John tracked down the lamp she had loved so much, but he gone to the trouble of making her a cd/DVD and finding them a place to eat before the class. Reassuring her in the best way possible that he wanted them to carry on dancing after she had moved in with Mandy. Astonishment, delight, followed closely by happy tears all were watched by Mandy.

"So what does he say?" Mandy says reaching over for the note.

" Here, you can read it. " Kayleigh says as she passed over the note.

"Wow! Good for him! Where 's your laptop? We've got to play this?" Mandy pauses, "That's if it's not too private?"

" No go ahead. I'll just find my charger. "

The two sisters were enthralled at the dances that John had picked. They sighed simultaneously at the floaty romance of it all.

"God I miss Strictly! Why is it not on all year?" Mandy is as misty - eyed as Kayleigh.

"Can't imagine being this good? Mandy laughs.

"Hey! We're getting on quite well after only two lessons!" Kayleigh 's indignant at her sister's teasing.

"But what's it like though?" Mandy is genuinely curious.

" Oh Mandy. It's just as good as it looks on there," she nods towards her laptop where the screen is paused," and John is every bit as handsome as that Pasha or Aljaz. " Kayleigh stared off for a minute, remembering the look John gives her as they are dancing round. "We did pivots last time, it's such fun! "

As they pressed play once again and the smooth strains of the Bublé filled the kitchen, Mandy and Kayleigh grinned at each other and danced round, dumping the detritus of their meal and then packing up the last of the kitchen items. 

"I love this guy! Shame they don't play him on Forever FM!" Kayleigh declared, cheered up considerably by John's thoughfulness.

The last song began to play, Kayleigh and Mandy looked at each other and sat, quietly listening to the lyrics John had chosen.

I can't believe it's over  
I watched the whole thing fall  
And I never saw the writing that was on the wall  
If I only knew  
The days were slipping past  
That the good things never last  
That you were crying

Summer turned to winter  
And the snow, it turned to rain  
And the rain turned into tears upon your face  
I hardly recognized the girl you are today

And God I hope it's not too late  
It's not too late  
Cause you are not alone  
I'm always there with you

And we'll get lost together  
Till the light comes pouring through  
'Cause when you feel like you're done  
And the darkness has won

Babe, you're not lost  
When your world's crashing down  
And you cannot bear the cross  
I said, baby, you're not lost

Life can show no mercy  
It can tear your soul apart  
It can make you feel like you've gone crazy  
But you're not

Things have seem to changed  
There's one thing that's still the same  
In my heart you have remained  
And we can fly, fly, fly away

'Cause you are not alone  
And I am there with you  
And we'll get lost together  
Til the light comes pouring through

'Cause when you feel like you're done  
And the darkness has won  
Babe, you're not lost  
When the world's crashing down  
And you can not bear to crawl

I said, baby, you're not lost  
I said, baby, you're not lost  
I said, baby, you're not lost (indeed I am)  
I said, baby, you're not lost*

Kayleigh and Mandy, tears rolling down their faces, looked at each other and smiled.

Taking Kayleigh 's hand, Mandy squeezes it, " It'll be OK, our kid. " 

 

*Lost   
Songwriters: ALAN CHANG,JAN ARDEN,MICHAEL BUBLE  
© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC,Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.,Universal Music Publishing Group


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John goes to the Monster Trucks, Kayleigh moved house, John and Kayleigh find a way back to each othet.

"Uncle John?" Sophie's tugging at John's sleeve, " What 's that tune you keep singing? Is that what they call an earworm?"

John, Sophie and Ben are queuing up at one of the many concessions stands at Manchester Arena in the interval of the much anticipated Monster Truck rally.

"What's that?" John's surprised that Sophie can hear anything , his ears are still ringing from the noise of the trucks. John much prefers vintage bikes but had stepped in at the last minute after a frantic text from his brother Paul the previous lunch time. One of Paul's colleagues had had to swop with Paul, something to do with his mother-in-law being taken ill or something.

"Oh it's this song I've got stuck in my head." John grins , in truth he hasn't realised he's been singing it out loud, but he obviously has since the kids had both noticed it. John had been singing Pure and Simple on a continuous loop since Kayleigh had first given him the Now 48 cd the evening before. It had got stuck in his head, the words, the tune and the pleasure of their brief kiss, so much so that John had barely paid much attention to the Monster trucks until Timber Wolf had ended up on its side, much to the hilarity of Ben and Sophie.

John took the kids to the trampoline centre afterwards as a treat, something he did now and again when he had them, before going round to his mum's where Paul would pick them up after work.

"Did you persuade Kayleigh to keep dancing after her move?" Deirdre asks John with very little preamble once the kids were settled in the front room.

" I hope so. She said she liked the lamp I got her. I've not heard how's she got on today. I'll text her later. " In truth John has thought of little else all day. He had so wanted to help her with her move, but he couldn't let the kids down and there was no-one else to take them.

Deirdre grinned at her preoccupied son. He never had been a day-dreamer as a child, but here he was with his thoughts clearly elsewhere with a small smile on his lips as he hummed the same tune over and over again. 

Over at the Price household, Kayleigh and Mandy were sat at the kitchen table with a brew and some chocolate hobnobs. Steve had been charged with keeping Alfie and Chloe busy all day so that Kayleigh could move her stuff in without the kids getting under their feet. In reality she had been ruthless, getting rid of the vast proportion her household effects, storing a few special larger items in a lock-up Steve had for his bikes, only taking with her time bare minimum.

"Look at it this way Kayleigh, it's a chance to start a new life. Getting rid of the old stuff is not so bad, you won't miss it after a while. Think of it as getting back to your lean fighting weight." Mandy knew just how upset Kayleigh was at having to move and was determined that her sister should feel welcome and loved in her home.

" Yeah thanks Mandy, I know all that. I just feel sad. I'll get over it. "

Mandy looks across at Kayleigh trying hard not to well up again and had an idea to take her mind off her woes.

"Here, I've been thinking. What are you going to wear to John's Big Bash? I think it's about time we started thinking about an outfit that'll knock 'em all dead, especially John!"

Mandy's words had the desired effect as they brightened Kayleigh 's face and brought back the sparkle to her eyes.

"I haven't really given it much thought. All I know is that it's formal and black tie, so I want something classy."

" We're going to have so much fun looking, Kayleigh. We're going to make you feel like a million dollars and John feel the luckiest man there with you on his arm." Mandy is so excited to be able to help her sister with this little project.

"You know, I'll really miss Ken." Kayleigh sighs as her melancholy has returned thinking of her elderly friend and neighbour. "I'm glad I had the chance to say goodbye. I'd like to do something nice for him. I've been thinking." Kayleigh really wants to hear what Mandy has to say about her idea, " You know he said he didn't want to get another dog when he finally had to say goodbye to his Maggie? And now he won't even have Misty to walk? Well I've heard about this charity that lets you permanently foster elderly dogs that have gone into the shelters. They pay for all the medical bills and the dogs get a loving home to live out their last days. Do you think Ken would go for that idea? I'd like to ask him. I hate to think of him stuck in the house on his own with nobody to go for a walk with. "

Mandy has always been touched at Kayleigh's kind heart, now more than ever. Despite her own troubles her sister is thinking of how to help someone else. "I'm really proud of you, you know. We all are. I think that's a lovely idea. You should give it a few days and then borrow the car and go round and see him. It will be better in person. I'm sure you'll be able to persuade him, I expect you've got him wound round your little finger, just like John!" 

"What? I haven't!" Kayleigh 's feeble attempts at protesting are interrupted by Steve and the kids returning, barging into the kitchen wanting their tea.  
Mandy grins at Kayleigh knowingly before getting immersed in her family, bustling around to get her kids something to eat.

"I thought we'd all have pizza tonight. Something easy. That OK? " 

"Yes! We love pizza." The kids shouted in unison, Kayleigh ruffles Alfie's hair as she goes out of the room to carry on unpacking her things into her new room.  
After John had got back home he had spent the evening trying to distract himself from texting Kayleigh. Too early and he would seem too keen, too late and he might miss her. So it was around nine o'clock that John finally sent the casual text he had composed hours ago:

J Hope the move went OK

K Yes all done thanks. Loved the CD btw. He's very good...that last song made me and Mandy cry.

J Didn't mean to make you cry...sorry. Hope you won't give up on the dancing. Mrs McNaughty is missing you. 

K You not missing me? The cafe looks nice. I'll look forward to trying it.

J I might be. Glad you've got everything sorted. See at work on Monday. Na night.

K Night John x

Going to bed that night, both John and Kayleigh felt much better than they had anticipated when they had discovered that Kayleigh would have to move. Although Kayleigh felt that it would take her some time for her not to miss her old life in her old family home, she had to admit that she for the most she enjoyed the bustle of family life, the easy affection of the kids and the company of her sister. 

What Kayleigh didn't miss though was the free and unfettered access to the bathroom. When Mandy and Steve had built the extension and had converted the garage into a room for the kids and had built an extra bedroom above that Kayleigh now occupied, they had managed to squeeze in an ensuite bathroom for them, which allowed them to get ready in the morning without battling with the kids. Monday morning saw Kayleigh fighting for her time in the bathroom with the kids to get ready for work. "Steve had better get a lock for that door and soon!" She mutters to herself, thinking that she'll go completely barmy or break her neck if she had to constantly balance to keep herself from being walked in on.  
Kayleigh didn't give any thought to the fact that she immediately was on the phone to John practically the second she stepped out of the front door for the first day of her commuting life without him. Really she justified herself in that she was distracting herself from all the extra walking she had to do and that she was missing John.

For his part, John was feeling happy that Kayleigh would still be dancing with him, but missed her more than he would admit as he made his lonely way into work. He would have been lonely had Kayleigh not phoned him. And then kept phoning him, he wasn't joking when he's said he hasn't had chance to miss her, but it was evident to both of them when she stepped into his car once again, after she had left the tram, that this was her rightful place, they both knew it. 

During the day, John was wracking his brains for an excuse, any excuse to give Kayleigh a lift home. For once the weather obliged and provided John the excuse to give her a lift and come to her rescue all at once. John had been figuring out how much longer he would have to drive out of his way to continue driving with Kayleigh. His small act of gallantry also meant he had found a way of finding out her address, which she hasn't so far given him. He didn't want to come out and ask for it outright, that wasn't his style, but despite their singing and enjoying each other's company interrupted only by that recalcitrant cyclist, John paid close attention to the directions she gave to him to Mandy's house.s

"Maybe some things are worth going out of your way for." 

Those words of John's would replay themselves to both of them throughout the evening. John cursing himself for saying too much and Kayleigh hoping that she hasn't misread John's meaning.

"You were a long time saying goodbye to John," Mandy observes wryly.

" Oh not really. Steve monopolised all his time talking about his effing bike!"

"So why are you looking so happy then Missy?" Mandy hasn't seen Kayleigh this cheerful in a long time.

" John said he'd be round to pick me up in the morning. " Kayleigh replies as casually as she could manage.

"Ah, right. I get ya!" Mandy smirks knowingly at her sister.

" What? He said he'd drop some old bike parts of his dad's round to Steve! "

"And that's his only reason for driving out of his way is it? Seriously, Kayleigh , be careful!"

" Be careful about what?" Kayleigh is genuinely baffled about what Mandy could possibly mean.

"If you don't really like John. You had better put a stop to this now! The man is obviously besotted with you my lady! If you don't feel the same you'd better tell him so!"

"What do you mean?" Kayleigh is all ears to listen to Mandy's appraisal of her relationship with John. Interested above all in her sister's observations because she was usually spot on.

" Listen; a man who doesn't mind you throwing your piss all over him, who asks you to go to a crucial works do with him, despite all the other women at the store he could ask, gets you to go to dance classes with him and then finds a way of continuing them even though you move to the other side of Manchester, gives you a cd and puts so much effort into the dance class , finds any excuse to keep car sharing with you and on top of it all gives you a bloody red heart lamp! " Mandy is exhausting herself from saying all this in one breath. "Do you need me to spell it out any further? The man is clearly besotted with you. If you don't feel the same , just don't string him along eh? He seems like a lovely man, be sure is all I'm saying."

Kayleigh had a wide smile and tears in her eyes. All she can do is nod. "I am sure Mandy. I just didn't think he felt the same. He never really says."

Mandy puts her arms round her sister to give her a huge hug. " You never were very good at reading between the lines, we're you sis? " she says affectionately.  
They share a laugh as Kayleigh suddenly remembers something. 

"Mandy? Have you got a long swishy skirt I can borrow? I need to take a change of clothes in with me tomorrow. We're going round to John's mum's after work to drop her off to Zumba, then we're going to that café for our tea before our class starts. Because we're doing ballroom, all the women wear long skirts. I don't feel very feminine in jeans. "

Mandy grins, "I've got that black skirt I bought for that thing at work. Do you want to try it on, see if it fits?"

"Yes please. Thanks again Mand, I can always rely on you to put me straight."

" That's what sisters are for love. Get up those stairs so I can dig out this skirt. "

The following morning John was a much happier man, even though he'd had to get up earlier to make his way round to Kayleigh 's. There was no question now that they wouldn't continue their car sharing, Kayleigh had just seemed to accept that he would be round to pick her up as usual without reading too much into it, much to his relief. His mum often compared him to a tortoise, hiding in his shell, poking his head head out when he thought it was safe. Although he protested, John had to admit that was exactly what he was like. After Charlotte and then the loss of his dad, he had built himself a protective shell, from which he would venture out occasionally, only to quickly retreat when he thought he'd shown his feelings too much. It was this state of retreat that John had found himself in on that Tuesday morning on his way over Bury. He had said enough to keep Kayleigh car sharing with him, but now he needed time to regroup, gather his courage for the next step.

For herself, Kayleigh had spent some time before she had gone to sleep, digesting Mandy's observations and advice. Truth be told she had liked John before the scheme that had thrown them together had begun but had not read anything into their growing relationship due to her many disappointments in the past. Now, with Mandy's words still fresh, she was determined to pay more attention to what John did and said to try to see for herself what her sister had evidently seen.

The day couldn't pass quickly enough for either John or Kayleigh. Even though they had no contact during the day, they both had an air of barely suppressed excitement emanating from them, that was of course noticed by the more observant of their colleagues. Especially since word had got round that Kayleigh had been seen leaving John's car, even though she had moved and their car sharing was supposed to be at an end.

John knew that had to deal with the paperwork to rescind his request for a new car share buddy that he'd had to submit once he had known that he wouldn't be picking her up any more. To this end he called in to see Cath Hilton, his visit timed carefully to coincide with the mid-morning break.

"Morning John! What can I do for you?" Cath greets him in response to him lightly tapping on the frame of her open office door.

"I need to get that paperwork back for the new buddy request." John thinks it best to just come straight out with it.

" And why is that? " Cath raises her eyebrows at him.

"It turns out that the journey to where Kayleigh lives in Bury isn't too bad, so I don't need another buddy. " John doesn't quite look Cath in the eye, guessing what her reaction is going to be.

"Not too bad John? You've got to be going at least an hour out of your way!"

" Forty-five minutes actually. Look I don't really have time to discuss it. Can you disappear that request or not?" John is ready to make his escape and fast.

"I will John. But we're not finished with this!" Cath smiles to herself as she fishes the form out of her pending tray and tears it it up. 

Home time came at last, Kayleigh and John fairly sprinted out the back door and if John knew how to do a wheel spin in his Fiat, the wheels would have been burning rubber like the Dukes of Hazard. 

"Thank Christ for that! I thought that day would never end!" Despite his happiness at being reunited with Kayleigh , John had been thoroughly irritated all day by first one thing then another.

"All that's kept me going all day is the thought of having a meal at that café! " This isn't entirely lie. It was true that Kayleigh had been looking forward to visiting the café with John since he had given her that flyer.

"Anything else?" John knew she was teasing him, but couldn't help but ask.

" I've been meaning to catch up with your mum. Thank her for being so kind when she gave me a lift home." Kayleigh 's doing her best to hide her smile.

"Oh right. I see." 

" I've also been looking forward to dancing again. With you. " Kayleigh throws John a sideways glance to gauge his reaction.

"Aye, me too. I mean...well you know what I mean." John's face has taken on a gradual pink tinge.

"Do I John?" Kayleigh is determined not to read too much into these little interludes with John and thinks it best to try to push John a little further to clarify his oblique remarks.

" I didn't go last week, Kayleigh. Because I didn't want to dance with anyone but you. " John can only look out of the window in the opposite direction to Kayleigh in his discomforture and so missed the pleased smile and triumphant gleam in her eye.

When they arrive at John's mum's to pick her up for her Zumba class, she noticed straight away that there is a strange atmosphere between John and Kayleigh. They are both looking a bit embarrassed but also very pleased.

"Here John, I need a quick word with you about something." Deirdre commands her son to get out of the car a walk with her part way across the car park to the Church Hall entrance.

" Has something happened between you and Kayleigh you've not told me about? Don't tell me you've finally kissed the girl? " 

John looks back at his mother aghast. "What? No I haven't!"

"Really? Well what is going on? Feels like I was interrupting something back there."

" Well you weren't! We were just talking about dancing, that's all. " John can't help but look sheepish.

Deirdre, for once decided to keep her own counsel, patting John on the arm before disappearing off into the Church Hall.

"Everything OK?" Kayleigh asks John when he returns to the car and buckles up.

" Aye, just my mother reading into something that wasn't there again! " In truth John's exasperation is due to his mum being able to read him like a book yet again.

The café John had found was only just round the corner from the Church Hall, John was relieved to have arrived at The Brew House in a few minutes, curtailing any further discussion about the little interlude with his mother.

Settling themselves at a table by the window, John and Kayleigh soon began chatting over the menu. Both separately marvelling at just how comfortable they felt with each other. They both decided on something light to eat, not wanting to dance on a full stomach, eating and chatting like they had been doing it forever.

The Zumba class was only an hour, a bloody long hour to all the ladies who sweated their way through it, so it was soon time for John and Kayleigh began to make tracks. The air of excitement around them had been building again as the time for them to dance edged nearer. By the time John got up to pay and Kayleigh excused herself to get changed, they were both fairly fizzing with suppressed energy.

John was standing by the counter when Kayleigh emerged from the Ladies out back. He couldn't help but stare at her. She had managed to conceal her outfit in her Tardis-like handbag, so when she emerged wearing a long black skirt, which was fitted to the knees, where it flared out attractively, and a black long-sleeved tee shirt, simple but elegant, John was completely blown away.r

"How did you? ..."

Kayleigh 's very pleased by his reaction, "You didn't think I'd go dancing in my uniform did you? It's alright for you! You can just take your jacket off, I wasn't about to turn up in my scussy old work clothes! " 

Seeing John, still standing there transfixed, was not going to move apparently, Kayleigh began to doubt that she'd made the right choice.

"What? It's not like I've got purple make up on my face! We going or what?"

"Yeah...right...best make tracks." A distracted John follows Kayleigh out of the café towards where he 's parked the car.

"Have I worn the wrong thing?" 

" No, not at all. I just didn't realise you were going to change, that's all. "

" So will I do? "

" Aye, you'll do! "


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Kayleigh learn to foxtrot. Kayleigh goes to visit Ken. It's the night of the Fancy Dress party!

"Hello Ken? It's Kayleigh."

" Oh hello, Kayleigh love. How are you settling in with your Mandy? "

"Good thank you Ken. How are you doing?"

Ken pauses, trying to sound upbeat but doesn't really succeed. "OK...I'm missing my Maggie and you and Misty of course."

" I'm sorry to hear that Ken. I thought I might call in to see you at the weekend, if that's alright? I'm sorry I haven't been to see you before... "

"That's OK, Kayleigh love, I expect you have been busy what with the move and everything. What about Saturday afternoon?"

"That's perfect, I can come round after I've been to the fancy dress shop with John. Oh any chance you could dig out your foxtrot records?" Kayleigh laughs engagingly. 

Ken joins in with her amusement, "You've just started that have you?"

" I need some help Ken! " 

Without the benefit of the couple of extra waltz lessons John had had before Keyleigh had joined him, John was as much at a loss as Kayleigh was when they had started to learn the foxtrot at their class the night before. He was better at keeping the slow, quick, quick rhythm than Kayleigh because of his musicianship she guessed, but he had just as much trouble with his toe or heel leads as she did. There was much laughing though, they enjoyed themselves as much as they ever had but they felt they were back to square one in learning a new dance. Kayleigh liked swishing around in Mandy's long skirt and both had missed being held by the other. They jointly sighed in relief when Mrs McNaughty finished the class by allowing them all to dance a by now reasonably familiar waltz as their final dance of the evening.

Kayleigh decided that she would phone Ken. It was about time she went round to visit him. She wanted to talk to him about her dog-fostering idea, she'd offer to take him round to the charity if he agreed. She also thought that they might fit in a foxtrot lesson if he felt up for it. She had already checked with Mandy that she could borrow her Citröen on Saturday to meet John at the fancy dress shop. He had suggested that they could go together to choose their costumes, a suggestion at which she jumped with both feet.  


John was a little surprised that Kayleigh had offered to meet him at the fancy dress shop because she was going somewhere after.

"You got a date?" He joked lamely, hoping against hope that she hasn't.

Kayleigh grins at him mischievously. "I have!" But cannot resist telling him what she'll really be doing when she sees his crestfallen face that he hasn't hidden quickly enough to escape her notice.

" I'm going round to see Ken. I feel bad for him. He had to have his Maggie put to sleep. "

"Eh?" In his relief that Kayleigh hadn't got a date he's forgotten who Maggie was.

" His Cocker! You remember! " Kayleigh can now see the funny side to the whole dogging/dog walking episode.

"Oh aye." John starts chuckling.

" And now he doesn't have Misty to walk anymore either. So I thought I'd show him this... " she produces a leaflet for the animal fostering charity from her handbag to show him.

They are sat together in the break room on the Thursday morning after their latest class. 

"I thought you were going to get him to join Heartsearchers.com for a minute there!" John says reading the leaflet that Kayleigh had given him.

" No! I wouldn't wish that on anybody! " Kayleigh shudders in disgust at the weirdos she had been in contact with as a result of her membership of the dating site.

John turns over the leaflet in his hand, immediately touched that Kayleigh had given Ken's situation so much thought. He reaches over and touches Kayleigh on the lower arm, "That's nice of you Kayleigh." He says with a warm smile and sparkling eyes.

Kayleigh finds herself basking in John 's approval. She smiles that lovely smile of hers, lit up by his words and his touch. "I can't bear to think of him alone, John. I hope this will help. " She covers her small hand over his large one still resting on her arm.

"You're a kind person, Kayleigh...I..."

" What have we here? A little tête á tête I'm interrupting? " Elsie has come noisily into the otherwise empty break room to find Kayleigh and Mr Redmond are having a moment. "What have you done for Mr Redmond here? That's so kind? Eh? " Elsie taps her nose knowingly.

Kayleigh shakes her head at John subtly giving him the look which told him not to mention her kindness towards Ken. John receives the message loud and clear and removed his hand with a start when he remembered that he and Kayleigh were essentially holding hands in the middle of the break room with Elsie watching. He cleared his throat, before saying the first thing that came to him.

"Kayleigh 's offered to help me find a costume for the fancy dress party." He shrugs at Kayleigh, it's the best he could come up with with zero warning.  


Elsie looks suspiciously between them, not at all convinced.

"Yes, we're going on Saturday to choose our costumes." This is one hundred percent true, even though it was not what they were talking about, Kayleigh would rather not lie if she could help it. It was close enough to the truth to satisfy her, she gives John a little nod of thanks for going along with her wish to keep things to herself. 

They both knew that this gossip would be round the store before John had even made it back to his office, but they both knew that they could cope with it. If everyone found out about the Management Do and their Dance classes they would never hear the end of it, so on balance they felt as if they had got away with it. Neither realised that although they had dodged a bullet this time, the gossip machine was already in full swing regarding their relationship, especially since everyone expected their car sharing to have come to an end once Kayleigh had moved, but no, it was still going strong.  


Thus the news that Elsie had walked in on Mr Redmond and Kayleigh were caught holding hands in the break room was much talked about, but not in front of the pair in question. So in the wonderful world of temporary oblivion, John and Kayleigh carried on as usual, bantering and laughing all under the watchful gaze of their colleagues.

Saturday afternoon saw Kayleigh pull up outside her old house, still with it's For Sale sign up in the front garden, in Mandy's Citröen. Ken was outside in a flash to greet his friend.

"Kayleigh love! It's good to see you! Come on in and tell me all your news!" 

Ken led Kayleigh inside where he had tea and a battenberg waiting for her.

They spent a very pleasant hour or so catching up on all their news, well mostly Kayleigh's as Ken hasn't done much apart from going to his bowls club once a week. As gently as she can, Kayleigh began to sound Ken out about her idea of him maybe getting a new dog.

Ken shook his head sadly, "I think I'm too old to get a young dog now. It would probably outlive me! Or pull me over..." He had a wistful look in his eye.

" What about if it was an older dog?" Kayleigh produced the leaflet out of her bag, the same one she had shown John, and began to explain to Ken that this might be a solution for him.

"I'll take you round to the charity if you'd like?" Kayleigh regards Ken's thoughtful expression. "Why don't you have a little think about it? You can always give me a ring when you've decided. Doesn't have to be today. "

Ken have Kayleigh a watery smile, "I will," he says, " So how are you getting on with the dancing? " 

"Well..." Kayleigh chuckles as she describes how difficult they had found the new dance, helping Ken to clear away their tea things.

"I'm a bit rusty with the old foxtrot, but it's my favourite, here what you have to remember is this..." Ken goes to put on one of his old Andy Williams records, selecting "I can't take my eyes off You. "

Ken had managed to remember the fundamentals of the dance and had given some thought into how to break down her steps to help her remember them. They spent the next hour or so with Ken guiding Kayleigh by getting her to say out loud the slow, slow, quick, quick rhythm as she did it, whilst he would call out heel or toe to remind her which step was next.

"I never thought the waltz would be that hard Ken, but we've seemed to have got the hang of that...but this is tying my brain up in knots!" 

" You'll get the hang of it, Kayleigh love. Fancy stopping for a breather? "

"Of course Ken, sorry! Can I get you something?" Kayleigh had been concentrating so hard that she hadn't realised that Ken was starting to flag.

"We'll have another brew shall we? And you can tell me all about your costume for the fancy dress!"

Kayleigh goes into his kitchen and fills the kettle, flicking the switch whilst rinsing our their mugs. She sighed deeply, " I honestly don't know what's got into John! " She says in mock exasperation, " He's got me dressed like an old tramp!"

"He's what?" Ken 's not impressed, he thought John was more respectful than that!

Kayleigh giggled as she realised what Ken had thought... " No! Not that kind of tramp! It's a character from Harry Potter! I've never even seen Harry Potter! "

Ken is a big fan of Harry Potter himself, having got all of the books out of his local library. He saw straight away what John was up to persuading Kayleigh to dress up as Hagrid. His mirth was increased ten-fold when Kayleigh started moaning about the wig but had made no mention of the trade-mark beard.

"Promise me you 'll send me a photo of the two of you dressed up!" 

" Alright Ken, I will. Thank you so much for the lesson. Now you promise me you'll give this fostering idea some serious thought? Give me a call eh? And we'll sort out when I can take you round there. It's not far! " 

"I will, Kayleigh love." Ken had realised that he would go along with Kayleigh eventually for she was like a force of nature when she set her mind to it, (in a nice way). It was just that he had resigned himself to not having another dog and he had to get used to the idea. 

Ken's mirth had come back to Kayleigh a few days later when she was diligently trying to wade through her Kung Po at the buffet. She say next to John silently cursing him yet again for not mentioning her costume came with a beard, slipping it into her costume bag at the last minute and then insisting that she wear it! Not only was it making her face all red and blotchy, it was not making her enjoy the Chinese banquet very much at all. How did men manage? She supposed they must have remnants of food in their beards all the time. She had never dated a bearded man and it had never occurred her to question Steve on the subject.

Once all the banquet had been polished off and the chairs and tables had started to be cleared to the edge of the room, everyone had moved into the main function room for the disco. Since Kayleigh had made that comment about his dancing too enthusiastically, John had become self - conscious about joining in with everyone else who were my now flinging themselves about with abandon. John took it upon himself to patrol the outside of the building, an excuse to keep himself out of the way for some of the time at least.

Inside, although Kayleigh was dancing and laughing with her friends, she was still a bit miffed that she couldn't compete with the likes of Rachel, who had come in an all-in-one red lycra body suit with a pair of devil horns! Even Cath Hilton, dressed as Mary-pissing-Poppins looked better than she did! And to top it all off John had disappeared. She was never one to hold on to grudges for too long, especially with a few drinks inside her, though, enjoying herself with the others but not with the person she wanted.

Feeling as if someone was watching her, she turned to see John standing at the side of the room by the door to the other function room. He smiled that smile of his that gave her insides the collywobbles...or that could have been the combination of six course of Chinese Banquet and the bottles of Becks she had necked. She smiled backed at him and slowly walked towards him after he had done a little movement of his head to tell her he wanted to speak to her.

"What is it Mr Redmond? Kayleigh asks cheekily.

" I need to speak to you about something, Miss Kitson...could we? " John holds his arm out to usher her inside the smaller room, which he does and closes the door.

"What is it John?" 

" Hey I'm sorry about your costume, I thought it would be fun, that's all, unusual. I know you wanted to come as Madonna." John has certainly picked up the vibes that Kayleigh wasn't exactly thrilled with her outfit.

"Yes it is unusual for a five foot three woman to be dressed as a giant with a beard." 

They both laugh at the absurdity of it all.

"Am I forgiven? " 

"Oh alright. I can't stay mad at you for long!" 

Through the closed double doors, the music had calmed down and the DJ had started to play some slow songs, no doubt at the request of Donna. 

"Sweet Dreams" could be heard, John offered her his hand. 

Kayleigh walked straight into ballroom hold and with a nod from John, they started their rudimentary foxtrot around the room. Kayleigh had certainly benefitted from her brief lesson with Ken, and unbeknownst to Kayleigh, John had been studying You Tube videos. So it was with an amount of success that they danced their way round the room. 

Wearing flat shoes and not her heels set Kayleigh even shorter in John's arms, but even this didn't matter. They glided round in a sort of trance, loving every minute of it. So much so that they completely failed to notice Elsie and Big Diane, otherwise known as Smurfette and Marge Simpson, stood outside, peering in at them through the French Windows leading out into the terrace where they had gone out to smoke.

For once Elsie and Diane kept quiet and just watched. At the end of the dance John bowed and Kayleigh curtsied politely to each other. They stood a little awkwardly until they heard that the prizes for the fancy dress competition were about to be announced. Sharing a shy smile, Elsie and Diane watched John and Kayleigh slip back into the disco unnoticed. Unnoticed except for the arbiters of gossip in the store. Those two ladies stood looking at each other in disbelief, wondering if they had indeed witnessed the impromptu display of magic.

"I mean I know they get on, those two. Must be something between them if he drives all that way, but that was just beautiful." Diane wipes a small tear from her cheek.

" I know! I thought I was watching Strictly there ! You know, Movie Week!" Elsie is equally as affected as Diane.

"I didn't know either of them could dance?"

" Well you thought he was gay after his performance last year! "

"You don't think she is literally his "beard" do you? " Diane still hasn't quite given up on her theory , despite the evidence before them.

Elsie shakes her head disapprovingly. "Of course she isn't! Look at the pair of them they are totally besotted! Even if she was, what would it matter? Even for you, that's out of order! Just because I spotted it before you! Get yourself back in there, I want to hear who's won! It'd better not be Joyce Chung again! Going as a bunch of grapes! I ask you! "


	10. Chapter 10

A couple of weeks after John and Kayleigh had agreed to "take things slow", Kayleigh and Mandy had gone into town to shop for their holiday and for Kayleigh's outfit for the Managers' Dinner Dance. Kayleigh had not been able to persuade Joyce Chung to swop with her for the holiday they had originally booked for September, but fortunately Mandy had been able to get the holiday dates changed to the last week in August. Her mate Tina, who worked in the Co-Op Travel Agents, and who had found them the deal in the first place, was able to change the dates to Corfu without incurring a charge. Mandy had promised her a night out as a thank you. It was therefore imperative that they get their holiday shopping done on the Saturday before as they were going early on the following Saturday morning. 

This kind of shopping trip was approached like a military operation by the Kitson women. They each had a list, the items on which were hunted down with ruthless efficiency. Mandy did not mess about when shopping for Steve and the kids. She had already got what she wanted for herself online, hating trying things on in changing rooms that were usually too small and where the curtains didn't meet.

Taking a breather in one of the many coffee shops before the final push, Kayleigh and Mandy sat at their table surrounded by bags, enjoying their lattes.

"So tell me again why you two are "taking things slow?" What does that even mean?" Mandy had not really got the whole story and was curious what had got her sister to this point.

Kayleigh grinned back at Mandy, "Well you know we've been growing closer what with the dancing and everything?" she grins across at her sister, " well you know we had a bit of a disagreement, a misunderstanding really? Anyway we agreed to take things slow."

Mandy still hadn't got the full story and plans to get Kayleigh drunk on holiday. " So he's not told you that he loves you? Have you told him?"

Kayleigh looked away, knowing that as usual Mandy had got to the nub of the matter. " Yeah I did Mandy, because I do love him." She sighed a bit sadly, "He told me I mean the world to him...but no he hasn't said it."

Mandy nods wisely, this is definitely not the time nor the place for this type of discussion.

"Oh frig a dig! It's Rachel! The last person I want to see on me day off! "

"What that slapper from your work?" Mandy only saw the back end of the brassy blonde going past the window of the cafe.

"Can't stand her, the way she throws herself at all the men at the store! It's disgusting!" Kayleigh still hasn't forgiven Rachel for trying to ask out her John.

"Are you about ready? I've seen just the dress for you in that Boutique place, you know the one?" Mandy gathers her bags and gets up to leave.

"I do, I've been looking in their window for ages. I wonder whether we've seen the same dress?"

They walked purposefully over to the Boutique, where unbeknownst to Kayleigh, Mandy had actually been in and reserved a stunning dress she knew would suit her to a tee.

"Hello Shelley, how you doing?" Mandy greets the owner of the lovely Boutique situated at the end of one of the little courtyards off the main shopping drag. 

" I'm good thanks Mandy, have you come in for the dress?" Shelley has already rescued the dress in question from another customer who had argued with her about whether it was reserved or not. Shelley had taken umbridge to the customer's attitude, even if she hadn't promised to reserve the dress, she would have been loathe to give in to the oh so arrogant woman who wanted to try on the dress.

"Yes, this is my sister, Kayleigh. "

"Oh now, you are perfect for this," she declared as she took the dress off the rail and led the way back to the changing area. The colouring and fit of the dress was indeed absolutely perfect for Kayleigh, it was in the style of a tango dress, close fitted with a large split up the front, a plunging neckline with a ruffled scarf, all in reds, oranges and golds. The vision she made in it was absolutely stunning once Kayleigh had tried it on and was stood in her cubicle looking at herself in disbelief. She had never had anything so sophsticated and classy and yet sexy at the same time. Her hair would need a minimal amount of styling, and she had just the red heels and matching handbag to complete the outfit. She gazed at herself really hoping that above all John would like her dress and think it was suitable for the event.

Mandy went out of the changing room to have a look round the rest of the shop while Kayleigh was trying on and then getting dressed again. Rachel was there talking away to another woman, who was obviously believing every word she was being fed.

"I'm going to the Managers' Do, I got Ian Hardy to invite me, Cheryl, but if he thinks I'm going to stick with him all night he's got another think coming!" she smirks triumphantly at her friend.

"Who have you got your eye on this time?" Cheryl looks as if she knows perfectly well that Rachel is up to something.

"I've heard through the grapevine that John is going this year." Her smile could only be described as feline, Mandy wanted to go over there and pull her round by her extensions, even if she didn't know she was talking about Kayleigh's John.

"Who's he taking, do we know?" obviously the grapevine hadn't done that good a job in ferreting out all the details.

"It won't matter who he's taking, he'll be coming home with me!" She's nothing if not confident.

"I'm going to come back for that dress, it's bound not to look as good on the woman it was reserved for... they'll bring it back and when they'll do I'm having it! It'll make John drool I tell you that." She grins confidently.

"Do you think he's asked Kayleigh?" They've all heard the rumours that have started to circulate about Kayleigh and John, although no-one in the store knows of their recent change in status.

"I doubt it! She's not got the class! All the dancing she's done is twerking while off her face!"

"You seem very confident of that. You've heard what everyone is saying." Cheryl actually got on well with Kayleigh and didn't fancy Rachel's chances with John if Kayleigh was there.

"We'll have to find out...and if he has been stupid enough to ask her... I'll just have to put the spoke in. All it would take is a few well-chosen words to make her believe he was only asking her out of pity, she's that stupidly besotted with him, she'd believe it!"

Fortunately Kayleigh hadn't heard any of this, but by the time she had emerged from the changing room, Mandy was fit to burst. When Kayleigh caught up with her, Mandy was standing behind the handbags very red-faced, clenching and unclenching her hands as if she was about to slap someone silly.

"You alright Mandy? What's wrong?" Kayleigh knows very well her sister has more of a temper that she herself has, and she recognises the signs when she's about to blow her stack.

"That bitch! I swear to God, I was this close...!"

"Who Mandy?" Kayleigh is standing there with her arms full of her new dress and the bags of other purchases oblivious to what Mandy has just witnessed.

Mandy made a quick decision not to tell Kayleigh about what she had just heard, best not to upset her since she was so happy. She would damn well make sure that that bitch would not ruin Kayleigh 's night with John. Mandy had formed a quick plan of action, which she didn't need to do anything about just yet, before their holiday would do. She encouraged Kayleigh to pay for the dress and get back to her car before they could encounter that slapper again. 

The following Tuesday evening was to be their last dance class. Kayleigh would be on holiday the next week and the one after that John wouldn't be there as he had taken a few days off before the Christmas rush set in and he wouldn't be able to take a break until the New Year. They both felt the weight of this being their last class, trying to hide their sadness but failing to fool even themselves. Mrs McNaughty had decided to teach the class the little flourishes to the waltz and the foxtrot which would take their dancing to the next level. John and Kayleigh both very much enjoyed adding these little touches to their dances , now much more confident that they could pull off the dancing at the Dinner Dance without making fools of themselves. The feeling of breathless delight at being in each other's arms was as strong as ever, evident to everyone around them. This didn't stop Marie from slipping John her number at the end of the evening when John and Kayleigh were saying goodbye to everyone and thanking Mrs McNaughty.

"You're welcome back any time." Mrs McNaughty declared as they left for the last time.

"Well that's that then!" John says as they get in the car for the last time heading back over to Bury.

"I've loved every minute of it! Except for dancing with Ralph that is!" she shudders at the thought. "I'm going to really miss it."

John glances across at her, taking in her sad face, " Yeah, me too. Hey thanks for doing this for me. I do really appreciate it you know." He smiled at her, that smile that made Kayleigh melt inside.

"I mean it John, I love dancing with you." she placed her hand on his, folding her fingers around his. "I'm going to be nervous that I don't let you down."

John cleared his throat, moved beyond what he is able to express at times like this. "You could never let me down. You'll be the most gorgeous woman there...by far!" He shifts uncomfortably feeling that he was fast getting out of his comfort zone saying things like this, but he knows that he needs to make the effort to tell her how he feels a bit more.

"I don't know about that! Have you got your suit yet?" Truth be told Kayleigh feels a bit uncomfortable when John starts to tell her how he feels. It's what she said she wanted but when it came down to it she wanted John to come right out with it rather than go round the houses.

" I'm going to get it when I'm off. I've been to get measured, just got to make sure it fits is all. I take it you've got your outfit? "

"Yes, me and Mandy went on Saturday. Got our holiday shopping too. You'll never guess who we saw?" Kayleigh looks at him indignantly, " That Rachel! Thank God we didn't have to speak to her! "

John looks at her amused, "She's alright is Rachel" he says trying to head Kayleigh's rant off at the pass. 

"You're not serious!" Kayleigh's indignance has turned on John for defending her.

"Let's not argue about her, she's not important." John doesn't want to waste any more time on their colleague. "I'm looking forward to us dancing together all dressed up." he tells her sincerely as they pull up outside Mandy and Steve's. He leans across to kiss her gently on the cheek. 

Inside Mandy has been waiting for them to arrive back from their dance class. At the sight of John's red car parking outside, she's rushing out of he door and arrives at Kayleigh's side just as John is giving her a peck on the cheek.

"Alright you two? John, can I have a quick word?" As loathe as she was to interrupt them, she really needed to speak to him in person.

"Right I'll see you tomorrow John." Kayleigh gives them both a long look as she takes herself inside to put the kettle on.

"What was that all about?" Kayleigh enquires when Mandy comes back a few minutes later.

"Just giving him the sisterly talk, you know...you'd better respect her or else!" Mandy grins at her fondly.

"You don't need to do that...a more respectful man I've yet to meet."

The sisters share a look,"More's the pity eh sis?" 

The rest of the week went by fast with Kayleigh and Mandy in countdown mode for their holiday, excitement building because they rarely had much time together anymore, and as much as they both loved Alfie and Chloe, it would be a break for both of them. Steve would be taking them to a caravan holiday park with his parents at the coast for the week. 

On the Friday night John dropped Kayleigh off for the last time for the next two weeks. 

"I'm going to miss you John. I wish you were coming with us" Kayleigh has hold of John's hand as they are sat outside Mandy's house.

"What? Go on away with you and Mandy? Steady on! " Always one to deflect his feelings with a joke, John is going to miss her too.

"Don't think you can handle two Kitson women?" she chuckles knowing that together they have always been a handful.

"I think the first time we go away it should just be us." John squeezes her hand meaningfully.

"Oh right, yes. That would be nice, John. You will text me when I'm away won't you?"

"Aye I will. I'll miss you too you know." Triggered by a slight move of the other, they lean towards each other and share a sweet but all too brief kiss on the lips.

"Right well, I'd better go. Got to finish my packing. We are off at painful o'clock tomorrow. " she kisses him again briefly before reaching over to the door handle to let herself out of the car.

"Don't you be texting me in the early hours! But let me know you've got there safe eh?" John waves at her in farewell.

Truth be told Kayleigh and Mandy had a brilliant week away. It was like before Mandy had met Steve and had a family. This time instead of sunning themselves all day and then going out on the pull in the evenings as of many holidays gone past, they had found themselves a couple of bars where they enjoyed the music and the cocktails but could also talk. The Kitson women could certainly talk, with the relaxation and the additional lubrication of copious cocktails, Kayleigh finally spilled the beans about how her and John had got to this point.

"Wow! So he wrote you a song? Let's hear it!" Mandy is agog to hear the song.

"No Mandy! I promised John. He wants it to be just for me. Nobody's heard it!" Kayleigh is radiating happiness, still so delighted that John had done that for her.

During Kayleigh's week off, news that John would be attending the Managers' Dinner Dance had begun to travel round the store faster than a wildfire in the Outback. He spent the week fending off questions about who he would be taking as well as offers from various of the women to be his partner, including a persistant Rachel. Nobody but Cath Hilton knew of John and Kayleigh's status change and that they would be going to the Dinner Dance together. 

"Bloody hell fire, Cath!" John has popped in to see her, thoroughly exasperated at the constant enquiries and speculation, " They're like a pool of piranhas! I'm up to here with it!"

"How did they find out you were going?"

" I've heard that Ian Hardy is taking Rachel, it was probably her. Didn't stop her from dropping some very broad hints she wanted me to ask her!"

"Be careful there John!"

"I know what the score is there, believe me! I may need your help with something..."

The following week without John, Kayleigh faced a similar barrage of questioning as to whether John was taking her to the Dinner Dance. Like John she parried all enquiries until the day before the Dance. She had been going to the break room to start her afternoon break with Elsie when they could clearly hear Rachel and Cheryl talking over their afternoon brews. 

"He told me that he doesn't want to take her because she'll be a total embarrassment, but he's stuck with her now. He's going to dump her during the evening, he told me!"

"What John told you that? Surely not! John wouldn't do that!"

"He will now that I've promised him..." Rachel's voice faded into the background as the ground came up to meet Kayleigh before Elsie managed to catch her.

"Kayleigh! Kayleigh love, wake up!" Elsie is tapping her face lightly and fanning her to get her to wake up.

At the commotion outside the break room, Rachel and Cheryl came out to see what the noise was all about. On seeing Kayleigh in a heap on the floor with Elsie trying to revive her, Rachel stepped over her, giving a high five to Cheryl.

"Mission accomplished!" she smirked.

"Why you nasty wee shite!" If she hadn't been holding Kayleigh, there was no doubt that Elsie would have practised her right hook on that smirking bitch.

Pulling herself round, Kayleigh struggled to her feet, "I'm alright Elsie, don't worry yourself." She looked pale and subdued but determined.

That night John received a text from Kayleigh that didn't surprise him but had hoped wouldn't get at all. 

K: Sorry John, I can't go to the Dinner Dance tomorrow. I think it best you take someone else. 

J: What? Why? What's happened?

K: Sorry I just think it's for the best.

J: Best for who? I hope you will change your mind. I want you to go with me.

K: I'll see you next week x

John sighed and shook his head at his phone. He knew what had gone on earlier as Cath Hilton had texted him after a furious Elsie had been to see her in high dudgeon about what she had witnessed. John got on to his phone and texted a couple of people before he turned in for the night, hoping that he would be able to put things right.

The following day Kayleigh made her way forlornly to work. Usually she looked forward to Fridays and had been looking forwards to this one in particular for what seemed like months. She said a sad farewell to Mandy, Steve and the kids and drifted around work, a pale reflection of the exuberant woman she habitually was. 

Elsie was on guard on the shop floor to prevent Rachel from getting to Kayleigh and stuck to her like glue during lunchtime and both breaks. She didn't manage to prevent Rachel from smirking triumphantly in Kayleigh's direction all day though, and it was only the final, final warning that kept Elsie from wiping that supercilious grin off her smug face.

At four forty-five, Cath Hilton announced that Kayleigh Kitson needed to report to HR immediately over the store tannoy. Panicking that something had happened to Mandy or the kids, or Keiron or John, Kayleigh rushed up to Cath Hilton's office to find Cath, Elsie and Mandy all waiting for her.

"What's going on? What are you doing here Mandy? Is everyone OK?" she's looking wildly from one to the other, wondering why they are all smiling at her.

"Sit down Kayleigh love, before you fall down," Mandy true to type takes charge with the support of the other two women.

"Tell us why you're not going to the Dinner Dance with John?" Mandy asks gently as Kayleigh takes a seat offered to her by Cath.

"What? How did you know about that?"

"I got a text from John last night. He wasn't very happy I can tell you that!" Mandy explains patiently.

"How did he have your number?" Kayleigh feels like she was back in her Maths class at school, several steps behind everyone else, not understanding what was going on.

"I got his number before we went on holiday, when I wanted a word with him. Remember?" At Kayleigh's nod Mandy continued with as much brevity as she could manage, knowing that time was short. " That bitch Rachel was in the Boutique when you were trying on your dress. I overheard her tell someone that she was going to take John home after the Dinner Dance no matter who he was taking and if it was you she would put the spoke in so you wouldn't go. And she did didn't she?" Mandy looked across at Elsie, who was looking as if she was going to turn into the female equivalent of The Incredible Hulk, way more malevolent than her blue Smurfette persona of the Fancy Dress party.

Kayleigh nodded dumbly, looking down feeling so many emotions at once.

"Elsie told me what happened yesterday," Cath takes up the tale, "John had asked me to keep an eye on things while he was off, so I told him what had happened..."

"And John told me!" Mandy takes Kayleigh by the hand, "Why didn't you tell me last night? Anyway we're not having it! And neither is John, by the way! We're here to make sure you do go to the Ball, Cinderella!"

"What? How?" Kayleigh is looking from one woman to the next and back again, still not quite comprehending what's going on.

"I've brought everything you need from home, dress, toiletries, everything..."

"You can get ready in the Executive Ladies, there's a decent enough shower in there, but you'll need to get a move on." Cath has started to usher Kayleigh and Mandy out of her office and up the corridor, leaving her no choice but to go. 

While Mandy was in charge of getting Kayleigh ready, Elsie and Cath stood outside guarding the door to the Executive Ladies in the unlikely event that anyone would venture to that part of the building at that time on a Friday. 

Inside, as in Cath Hilton's office, Mandy took charge.

"Right, lady, just you get into that shower, here's your things. Don't even think about arguing!" 

As Kayleigh was obediently getting her hair dried and her make up done, Mandy sat watching her sister transform into a beautiful woman, her natural beauty enhanced greatly by the style and the colouring of the dress she had brought to the back door of the store along with everything else necessary for the transformation, at the behest of Cath Hilton.

"This is all John's doing you know. I told him what I'd heard because I knew how you'd react. He set all this up before we went on holiday in case she succeeded in getting to you. He loves you very much you know. Don't get hung up about him saying it. He wants you to go with him and isn't going to let anyone spoil your night."

" What about Cath and Elsie? " Kayleigh has started smiling now that she has let herself believe that all this actually happening.

"Oh John asked them to help out, needed some help at the store while he was away. Talking of who, we need to get going. Are you about set?"

Kayleigh stands back to look at herself in the full length mirror on the back of the door.

"Will I do?" she smoothed down her dress anxiously.

Mandy stood back to give her sister one final look. "You are beautiful Kayleigh. John is going to bust a gut when he sees you."

"What about John? How am I going to get there?" The ladies hadn't filled her in on the best part of the plan.

Mandy grins at her and knocks lightly on the door, waits for the knock in reply, picks up Kayleigh's handbag to give to her, gathers the rest of Kayleigh's stuff and ushers her out of the door.

Kayleigh is gratified to see the broad smiles on the faces of Elsie and Cath Hilton. In fact Elsie has a tear in her eye at the sight of her friend.

"By God, Kayleigh love. You are gorgeous, so you are! You're going to knock 'em dead in that dress!"

"Thank you Elsie," she says looking round at them, "thank you all ." Kayleigh has gone a little teary too.

"Right, Missy, let's get you to this party." Mandy looks to Cath Hilton, who leads them all down the stairs to where a small group of staff have gathered to find out what was going on. They had all heard the tannoy announcement but no-one had seen Kayleigh re-appear, so there was bound to be something afoot.

In his car, John was sat staring at his phone, waiting for a text to let him know that Kayleigh was ready. On receiving the thumbs up from Mandy, John straightened his bow tie, gave himself a mental shake and got out of his car, locking it before making his way through the front entrance of the store. In his dinner jacket, black bow tie and waistcoat, John looked very handsome, turning heads as he went. He stopped short though at his first sight of Kayleigh, catching his breath at the vision of her laughing with Mandy, Elsie and Cath Hilton.

It was as if his legs had stopped working, strange really as his heart seemed to be pumping ten to the dozen at the sight of her, the adrenaline rushing through his veins making him want to run to her and sweep her off her feet. He controlled himself though, this wasn't some Romantic Fiction but a Friday night in a Greater Manchester supermarket. 

"He's here!" Elsie nudges Kayleigh and gently turns her so she can see John, who is standing there in the middle of the bakery aisle, transfixed.

Kayleigh gasped at the sight of him, he certainly gave truth to the general rule that 99% of men improved considerably when wearing a dinner suit. John was shaken out of his reverie as she smiled at him and he advanced towards with an intense expression in his eyes and a slight smile on his face. Standing in front of Kayleigh, he offered her his hand and kissed her lightly on the the hand he had just taken. 

Tucking her hand in his, John looked down at Kayleigh, who was beaming from ear to ear. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes John I am!"

A few of the staff started to applaud as they left, someone else filmed the whole thing on their phone and sent it round the store staff, including Rachel who was left fuming that her little plan hadn't worked.

"Right, it's game on lady!"


End file.
